A raging wildfire tore through a quiet Altadena neighborhood, leaving heartbreak and loss in its wake — among the victims, a beloved grandfather who refused to leave the home he cherished for decades.

An 83-year-old man, Rodney Nickerson, was found dead in his bed after the Eaton Fire ravaged his neighborhood in Altadena, California. His daughter, Kimiko Nickerson, discovered his body amid the charred remains of their family home, which had stood since the late 1960s.

An LAFD Firefighter hosing a burning apartment complex from the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on January 8, 2025 | Source: Getty Images

The devastating wildfire broke out on Tuesday night (January 7, 2025), spreading rapidly near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive, about three miles from the Nickerson home. Despite repeated pleas from his family and neighbors to evacuate, Rodney insisted on staying in the home he had lived in for over five decades.

Kimiko shared that the last conversation she had with her father was around 9:30 p.m. on the night of the fire. He had assured her, saying, “I’ll be here tomorrow.”

Kimikso’s son and neighbors also tried to persuade Rodney to leave, but he remained firm in his decision to stay. “He said he’ll be fine,” Kimiko recounted. She believes he was preparing to go to bed after their call, sticking to his lifelong habit of waking up at 4 a.m., even in retirement.