An Australian man has died in the California wildfires, his “completely heartbroken” mother has confirmed.

British-born Australian citizen Rory Sykes, 32, died after his self-contained cottage on a family property near Malibu burst into flames, his mother Shelley Sykes said in a post on X.

“@RorySykes had his own cottage on our 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studio property, equipped with the latest Apple gadgets, which burned down in the Malibu Fires yesterday, January 8, 2024,” said Shelley Sykes.

Sykes said her son was born blind, lived with cerebral palsy and had difficulty walking.

“He overcame so much through surgeries and therapy to regain his sight and learn to walk,” she said.

“Despite the pain, he was still excited about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”

She said she drove 400 meters to the nearest fire station to raise the alarm but was told there were no water reserves in the local fire hydrants.

“Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day,” she said.

Shelley Sykes told Ten News that her son’s cottage had burned to the ground when she returned with the firefighters.

“I’m totally heartbroken,” she said on X.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who may have been affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.

“Due to our privacy obligations, we are unable to comment further,” a spokesperson said.

“The Consulate General in Los Angeles continues to monitor wildfires across California, including information on evacuation orders and warnings and evacuation shelters.”