13/01/2025
ONE OF OUR OWN!
Wordsley-born scientist loses home in Los Angeles wildfire
A SCIENTIST from Stourbridge is among those who have lost their California homes to devastating wildfires which have ripped through Los Angeles.
Warren Skidmore and his family have lost their house and belongings after fire swept through Altadena, which has been razed to the ground.
Friends and family have been sending thoughts and prayers to Warren, who grew up in Wordsley before moving to the USA for work, and a Go Fund Me page has now been set up to try to raise $50,000 to help the family.
Warren, a research scientist working on the Thirty Meter Telescope project – which aims to create the ‘world’s biggest telescope’, has been living in Southern California for more than two decades and was recently honoured for his efforts to inspire others to pursue a career in science and technology.
His sister Elizabeth Foster, who lives in Kinver, has appealed for help for Warren and his family who have sought sanctuary in an Air BnB in Pasadena since fleeing the Eaton fire, which broke out on Tuesday and spread furiously - fanned by powerful Santa Ana winds.
The burnt out remains of Warren Skidmore's home in Altadena, California
The burnt out remains of Warren Skidmore's home in Altadena, California (Image: Facebook)
She said in an emotional Facebook post that was feeling “absolutely heartbroken” for them and she later appealed for help and donations to get them through the most testing of times.
Kind-hearted friends and family have already been donating to the online fundraiser set up by family friend Frank Munoz in Pasadena.
Appealing for donations on gofundme.com, he said: “Thankfully, Warren, his wife, and their children are safe and together, but they now face a daunting challenge ahead.
“Warren is loving father and husband, brilliant scientist, caring mentor and inspiration to all who know him. He was recently honoured in front of 90,000 people at the Rose Bowl with the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent's Award for his extraordinary contributions to education and community engagement. As an astrophysicist and PUSD parent, Warren has gone above and beyond to inspire students toward STEM careers. His passion for science, education, and the community has touched countless lives.
“Now, it’s our turn to support the Skidmore family during this incredibly difficult time.
“Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a difference and be deeply appreciated by Warren and his family.”
In a post on Facebook updating people on his situation, father-of-two Warren, who studied at King Edward VI College in the late 80s, said he told how he had been touched by a “small act of kindness by a stranger” he met in a grocery store who had given him a couple of packs of bottled water after hearing about his plight. He said: “There is a lot of good in the world.”
His worried mum Mary Skidmore, of Wordsley, said she had been left dumbstruck by the news - describing it as “terrible” - but she added: “They’re alive and they’re together."
She said Warren had done an awful lot of work on his three-bedroom detached home which has been turned to "ash".
Anyone wishing to make a donation to the online fundraiser to help Warren and his family can go to gofundme.com (search Supporting Warren Skidmore and Family After the Eaton Fire).
As reported by : (Bev Holder - Stourbridge News)
