'Mum, leave me.' Australian Rory Sykes died in the LA fires as his mum tried to save him.

The recent fires in Los Angeles have left a trail of devastation behind them, impacting countless lives and communities. Amongst those tragically affected is Rory Sykes, a British-Australian child actor who passed away during the catastrophic wildfires. He was 32.

Rory, who starred in the 1990s British series Kiddy Kapers and lived with cerebral palsy, was living in a self-contained cottage on his mother's property in Malibu. On Wednesday, he was trapped in his cottage when the fires reached them.

His mother, Shelley, wrote a heartfelt tribute to her son, sharing the news of his passing on X.

"It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday," his mother, Shelley Sykes, wrote. "I'm totally heart broken."

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heart broken. British born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine & his grandmas birthday 29 July 92, Rory Callum… pic.twitter.com/X77xyk83gx

— Shelley Sykes (@shelleysykes) January 9, 2025

Speaking with news outlets including Seven and ABC, Shelley said she had asked Rory to come to the main house the night before.

"He felt confident he would be OK. He said, 'Mum, you just sort yourself out'. So, I went back to the main house," Shelley said, on Seven, having mentioned previously that Rory was unable to walk due to swelling in his ankles.

"In the morning, I kept popping my head out of the main door to have a look at Rory's cottage to see if he was OK. I saw these embers on the roof and I was just horrified.

"I covered myself with cloth, so I didn't get burnt, and I raced up to his cottage and I got the hose pipe to put out these embers on the roof and there was no water. I couldn't believe it."

"I said Rory 'come to the main house'. He locked the door and said 'no'. So, I know not to argue with Rory because he has a strong personality. He knew I couldn't lift him, and he couldn't walk."

In conversation with 10 News, Shelley confirmed she had a broken arm and was unable to carry Rory.

"He said, 'Mum, leave me,'" she recalled. "No mum can leave their kid."

After unsuccessfully trying to reach the police, Shelley quickly headed to find firefighters for assistance. When she did, they revealed they had no water.

"They said, 'we've got no water,'" she said. "I said 'What do you mean you have no water?' and they said 'We have no water.' I said 'Please you have to do something to save his life'. The (fire) chief went up with some of the guys, and they made me stay at the camp, and they went for 45 to 50 minutes and came back, and they said you should come with us and my heart sank."

Shelley describes returning to find her worst nightmare.

"When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burnt to the ground."

Watch Shelley Sykes' interview on 10 News First. Article continues after video.

Speaking to ABC News, Shelley recalled the horrible sight of her home when she returned.

"There was nothing. It was black ash. There were no walls, there were no tiles from his shower. There was nothing standing. It was just blackened," she said.

Firefighters informed her that Rory had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, which was a relief to Shelley.

"He died from carbon monoxide poisoning, rather than burning. I didn't want any pain for my baby," she said tearfully.

Following his passing, Shelley has made it her mission to honour Rory's memory and share his incredible journey, describing him as a "compassionate" man who, throughout his life, was active in fundraising for charity and inspiring others.

"We need to let everybody know and inspire them that Rory was courageous and had a beautiful soul," she said, reflecting on his resilience.

She continued, "I was in a car accident when I was pregnant, and they told me he'd be born blind and would never walk. But he defied all odds."

Feature Image: Twitter/Shelley Sykes / 10 News First.