Family remembers Victor Shaw, killed in the Eaton Fire, for his bond with his sister

When Shari Shaw received an alert to evacuate her Pasadena home ahead of the Eaton Fire, she stormed out — not away from the blaze, but toward it, to save her brother Victor who was living a few miles away in Altadena.

Victor, 66, had Asperger's syndrome and had in recent years developed poor eyesight and other health complications, according to their cousin Benita Shaw Malone, who was speaking to media on behalf of the family.

"He led a quiet life," Shaw Malone said. "He was Shari's only sibling and one of my few first cousins."

Victor was living in their childhood home in Altadena at the time. Though he was shy and reserved in nature, Victor had a deep love for sports and an even deeper affection for his younger sister, who also served as his caretaker for many years.

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He especially enjoyed football and basketball. He and his sister regularly watched games together, their cousin said.

The Eaton Fire remains active. It has decimated over 14,000 acres northeast of Los Angeles and claimed at least 16 lives.

On Jan. 7, when Shari, 61, arrived at Victor's front door steps, he was heavily medicated, Shaw Malone said. Shari tried to wake him and lift him up, but being smaller than her older brother, she couldn't do it on her own.

According to Shaw Malone, Shari bolted outside and drove around to look for help but she could not find any firefighters and the one sheriff that she did encounter ordered her to evacuate. Shaw Malone said she spoke over the phone with Shari while she searched for assistance.

"I can still hear her. She says, 'I can't get Victor out. I can't get Victor out.' And she's screaming," she added. Shaw Malone lives in Long Beach, which is over 30 miles from Altadena.

A photo of Victor and Shari Shaw's childhood home in Altadena, Calif., in the aftermath of the Eaton fire.

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Benita Shaw Malone

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Shari decided to head back to Victor but she quickly realized that the house had caught on fire and fire was rolling in her direction. Shaw Malone said Shari barely escaped the flames and part of her car was scorched.

The next day, Shari returned to Altadena and pleaded with law enforcement to visit her childhood house. There, Victor was found outside holding a garden hose, according to Shaw Malone.  "We don't know what he was doing, I guess trying to hose down the house," she added.

The LA County Medical Examiner listed Victor's cause of death as "smoke inhalation and thermal injuries." The L.A. County Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to NPR's request for additional information about his death.

The L.A. County Fire Department said it offered condolences to the Shaw family and said it does everything it can to save lives. "The initial action phase of these unprecedented fires was intense and chaotic. The demands of the Eaton fire stretched our personnel across several foothill communities in horrific conditions. In spite of tremendous efforts, lives were lost and our firefighters feel that weight," a spokesperson told NPR in an email.

Shari lost her brother, their childhood home, and much of her family's photographs in the fire. Amid the grief, Shaw Malone said they have been struggling to figure out how to afford funeral arrangements.

Her cousin has been utterly exhausted, Shaw Malone said. But she added that she admired Shari's commitment to her brother. "It's remarkable how much she cared for Victor all these years."

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