Dalyce Curry has died in the Los Angeles wildfires. The devastating news comes as California faces one of its most challenging winter fire seasons in recent history.
The retired actress – who appeared in the likes of ‘The Ten Commandments’, ‘The Blues Brothers’ and ‘Lady Sings the Blues’ – passed away aged 95 when the Eaton Fire destroyed her home in Altadena, with the coroner having confirmed on Sunday (12.01.25) that her remains were discovered there. Curry’s career spanned over four decades in Hollywood’s golden era.
“Momma D” – as Dalyce was known to her family – had been dropped off by her granddaughter Dalyce Kelley at her home at midnight on Tuesday (14.01.25) after a day of hospital appointments. The Altadena area has been home to many entertainment industry veterans since the 1950s.
According to Eyewitness News, Kelley left but the next morning, she saw a text saying the power had gone out in her grandmother’s home so she headed over to help. Power outages have affected over 5,000 residents in the region during this emergency.
“I’m sorry your grandmother’s property is gone. It totally burned down,” a police officer told her. The Eaton Fire has already destroyed more than 100 structures in the area.
They suggested she went to the Pasadena Civic Center, where local residents had been sent but couldn’t find her and on Friday (13.01.25) she was taken to her grandmother’s home by national guard officers. The civic center has been serving as an emergency shelter for hundreds of displaced residents.
She said: “It was total devastation. Everything was gone except her blue Cadillac.” The classic car, a 1965 model, had been Curry’s prized possession for over 40 years.
While the search was still ongoing for her grandmother, Kelley had said she was “praying for a miracle.” Search and rescue teams worked tirelessly for 48 hours in the affected area.
She added: “Honestly we don’t feel very hopeful that she’s still here with us.” The wildfires have claimed three lives so far, with Curry being the latest victim.
And Kelley had also hit out for authorities to “do better” when it comes to putting emergency systems in place. Local officials have acknowledged the need for improved emergency response protocols.
“Our souls are aching, our hearts are broken. She loved Altadena. There is no one who loved that city more than my grandmother. She said she had yet began to live, so I knew she would just be here beyond 100. She still wanted to date, she wanted to find a husband … They have to do better with the emergency system because there’s a that was a very elderly kind of community,” Kelley told KABC.
“There’s a lot of retirees there, and we can’t just rely on the cellphone, because elderly people don’t really do cellphones. They don’t. That’s not the only way we should notify people when there’s evacuation orders,” she continued, highlighting a critical gap in emergency communication systems.
“And why did it not happen earlier? Why was I allowed to be to have access to her home at midnight and not have any danger warnings? No highway signs up the way saying, ‘This is evacuation zone.'” The lack of proper warning systems has become a major point of concern for local authorities.
Curry’s passing has sparked discussions about emergency preparedness in elderly communities, with local officials now reviewing evacuation protocols. The actress, who worked with cinema legends like Charlton Heston and Diana Ross, leaves behind a legacy of both artistic achievement and community involvement in Altadena.
Fire officials continue to battle the Eaton Fire, which has already consumed over 2,000 acres of land. Climate experts warn that California’s fire season is extending beyond traditional boundaries, creating new challenges for emergency response teams and local communities.
The loss of Curry has particularly impacted the entertainment community, with several veteran actors calling for better protection of elderly residents in fire-prone areas. Her contributions to classic cinema, including her memorable role in ‘The Ten Commandments’, remain a testament to Hollywood’s golden age.
