Boy's desperate call as flames surround house ends in family tragedy

A young boy desperately calling for his “Papa” to come home as bushfires closed in around him were the last words a great-grandfather heard from his family before making a tragic discovery.

Two young children and their 70-year-old great-grandmother died in a bushfire that swept into Redding in California with devastating speed on Thursday.

A tearful Sherry Bledsoe confirmed the deaths of her grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, and her children, James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4.

Melody’s husband Ed Bledsoe was running errands while his wife stayed home to look after their great-grandchildren. While he was way he received a call, with his great-grandson telling him to come home straight away.

“We need your help,” the boy said, according to Jason Decker, who is the boyfriend of one of the Bledsoes’ granddaughter.

But when he returned, his family was missing and it was later discovered they were still in the home as it was destroyed by the flames.

The Bledsoes lived near the Keswick Estates neighbourhood, and their home, like many around it, was reduced to ashes. The tragedy leaves Mr Bledsoe without his wife and the great-grandchildren he doted on.

“He lost everything. Everything. You can’t lose more than family. And then you lose everything on top of that?” said Don Kewley, whose girlfriend is one of the Bledsoes’ granddaughters.

“The man’s got the shirt on his back and the pants on his waist. Like that’s it.”

When Mr Bledsoe had headed out for supplies Mr Kewley said the family believed the area was not in imminent danger and Melody had no car.

When Mr Bledsoe rushed home, he was turned back by police. The fire was raging and there were walls of flames.

Mr Decker took the day off work on Friday and drove his motorcycle to the home to look for members of the family but only found the smoludering remains of the house.

A day later, what remained of the Bledsoe property was surrounded with crime scene tape.

Mr Decker said his own children played with James and Emily and they had trick-or-treated together.

“I don’t even have any more tears to cry,” Decker said.

“But I keep finding them.”

Five dead in devastating fires

The death toll has reached five since the fire started burning last Monday. It exploded on Thursday after it jumped the Sacramento River and entered the Redding area.

Bulldozer operator Don Ray Smith, 81, has been identified as one of those who died.

He was working to contain the fire when he became caught up in the blaze on Thursday.

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Authorities have also confirmed Redding Fire Department Inspector Jeremy Stoke died while on the job on Thursday night.

More than $30,000 has already been raised through a GoFundMe page set up to help the Bledsoe family.