Grandfather Who Didn't Want to Leave His Home of 50 Years amid L.A. Fires Found Dead in His Bed, Daughter Says

An Altadena grandfather who was found dead in his bed is among those who have died in the ongoing fires throughout the Los Angeles area, according to his daughter.

As of Thursday, Jan. 9, there have been at least 10 fire-related deaths in the Los Angeles area, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

One of them has been identified as Rodney Nickerson who was discovered after the Eaton Fire spread through the Altadena neighborhood where he lived for more than 50 years, CBS affiliate KCAL and Sky News reported.

Related: Suspect Arrested Near Kenneth Fire Won't Be Charged with Arson Due to Lack of Probable Cause: Police

According to his daughter, Kimiko Nickerson, Rodney "was asleep in his bed, where he still is right now," she told Sky News.

She added that her father "just didn't want to evacuate," revealing that he had been living in her childhood home. "He's been in Altadena my whole life," she said, while KCAL reported that Rodney lived in the house since it was first purchased for $5 in 1968.

Kimiko added that he "didn't think it was going to be this devastating" and thought the blaze would not reach his home.

According to KCAL, Rodney worked as a project engineer at Lockheed Martin for 45 years. His wife was also an employee of the defense and aerospace contractor.

His family has deep roots in the L.A. area, with Kimiko telling the outlet that her great-grandfather, William Nickerson, founded the Watts public housing development Nickerson Gardens.

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Kimiko remembered her father as an "ambitious," "healthy" and "smart" person, who "read the LA Times from cover to cover and walked around the Rose Bowl every day," she told Sky News.

She added, "But he went to sleep and died in his bed."

Related: Before-and-After Photos Show the Sudden Devastation from the L.A. Wildfires

Rodney is one of several individuals identified as victims of the L.A. fires.

67-year-old retiree Anthony Mitchell, an amputee who used a wheelchair, and his son, Justin, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, died after being unable to evacuate their Altadena home in time.

Another victim includes Victor Shaw, 66, whose body was found still clutching a garden hose outside of his family’s home near the Eaton Fire.

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

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