What began out like another day for Dalyce Kelley and her 95-year-old grandmother led to tragedy.
Kelley labored as a caregiver for her grandmother, Dalyce Curry, a longtime Altadena resident who got here to Los Angeles as a younger girl with goals of changing into a Hollywood actress and appeared in a number of movies.
On the morning of January 7, Kelley took her grandmother to some medical appointments. They ended up in hospital for 5 to seven hours for additional exams. Eventually, Curry was informed she was free to go house.
That night, Kelley was taking them again to the 5 Freeway they usually might see smoke from the fires, however it appeared far sufficient away that they thought it will be secure.
As Kelley drove his grandmother to her house on Krenz Avenue, Curry requested her if she needed to remain the evening. But as a result of Kelley had one other sick member of the family she wanted to take care of, she informed Curry — often called “Momma Dee” to her household — that she would name her within the morning to examine in.
“We smelled smoke,” Kelley stated, “however I let you know it regarded regular, like a traditional day in Altadena.”
Kelley was a part of a bunch chat with different residents in her grandmother’s neighborhood and texted to allow them to know she had accompanied Curry and requested if anybody might examine on her if there was an evacuation order. Someone gave the message a “thumbs up,” Kelley recalled.
When Kelley turned the nook, he noticed law enforcement officials and firefighters at a command heart that had been arrange outdoors a Rite Aid. Kelley stated she regretted not stopping in that parking zone and asking them concerning the standing of the hearth and whether or not they deliberate to evacuate her grandmother’s neighborhood.
Kelley awoke round 6 a.m. He had obtained a textual content from Curry’s landlord asking if anybody had come to select up his grandmother as a result of an evacuation order had been issued round 3:30 a.m. Kelley instantly known as 911 considering he might need the police decide up his grandmother. She was redirected a number of instances earlier than deciding to go to her grandmother’s home herself.
As Kelley was driving, he noticed darkish smoke from the fires looming overhead.
“It was simply black, the entire metropolis,” he stated. “I used to be popping out of Lincoln, and it was darkish.”
Eventually, Kelley was stopped at a police checkpoint and gave her grandmother’s handle to a police officer so he might examine on her. She then headed to the Pasadena Civic Center, which was serving as an evacuation shelter, considering she may discover her grandmother there.
About quarter-hour after Kelley arrived, the police officer known as her. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he stated. “Your grandmother’s home is all burned down. It’s now not there.”
Kelley was unable to search out Curry in downtown Pasadena or on the Arcadia Community Center, which additionally housed evacuees. He later filed a lacking particular person’s report. On Friday, Kelley returned to Altadena however was stopped by the National Guard. A member of the Guard agreed to take her to her grandmother’s home, which had been decreased to rubble.
All that was left on his grandmother’s property was her blue Cadillac, her fridge, an train bike and a metallic mattress body.
“Everything else was gone,” Kelley stated.
On Sunday, Kelley had obtained a name from the Los Angeles County medical expert, telling her that human stays had been discovered on her grandmother’s property.
Curry was born in Little Rock, Ark., in 1929 and dreamed of changing into a profitable actor in Hollywood.
She moved to Los Angeles and appeared in movies together with “The Ten Commandments,” “Lady Sings the Blues” and “The Blues Brothers.” Curry was additionally a faucet dancer and singer, and was a mentor to Madame Sul-Te-Wan, the primary black actress to signal a movie contract with a serious studio.
“He all the time had a fascination with artwork, so he instilled artwork in me,” Kelley stated. “I continued to work in radio and work behind the scenes on music movies.”
Curry later continued to work as a nurse and cared for the aged till she retired. Her household remembers her as “very charming” and as a lady who all the time wore a wig and did her make-up and nails.
“He all the time informed me, ‘Well, honey, nothing’s as unhealthy because it appears,’” Kelley stated. “Even within the worst case state of affairs, this strengthened me to maneuver ahead and be capable to discuss to the media. I knew my grandmother was particular.
Kelley stated he hopes extra might be accomplished sooner or later throughout emergencies for seniors who is probably not tech-savvy or have entry to a cellphone or on-line alerts. He stated that regardless that Curry had a cellphone, he did not actually know the best way to use it.
“They have been saying no knocking on doorways,” Kelley stated. “There was a message concerning the evacuation warning, however I heard that once they obtained the evacuation message, embers have been already falling from the sky.”
Kelley highlighted her grandmother’s love for Altadena, the place she had lived for greater than 20 years.
“Altadena was a spot like no different,” Kelley stated. “It was multicultural. It was about 47% African American. There was a neighborhood for us, and there have been legacies and tales, households passing down houses for generations.
“My grandmother was there for over 20 years,” she added. “He beloved Altadena. I might by no means get her to maneuver.
Curry’s household launched a GoFundMe page to assist cowl funeral and memorial bills, in addition to different bills.
Kelley stated that even when Curry had survived the hearth, she would not know if her grandmother would have lived for much longer after watching the hearth destroy her neighborhood.
“I do not assume he might have witnessed the devastation that I needed to witness,” she stated, “as a result of his coronary heart and soul have been in Altadena.”
