Patty Ojeda says her grandson, Josiah Williams, would be 14 years old now if he hadn’t died at the age of 5 from abuse and neglect at the hands of his father, step-mother and step-grandmother, who are all serving prison time.

Nine people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been confirmed dead since lightning-caused fires that started weeks ago fused into a monster that largely destroyed Berry Creek, a tiny hamlet in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of San Francisco. Nearly 15,000 firefighters were battling 28 major wildfires across California, although 24 were sparked Thursday and quickly contained. The sheriff said the victims included Josiah Williams, 16, of Berry Creek, who apparently died while trying to flee the flames in a vehicle. In Berry Creek, most homes were reduced to smoldering piles of ash, twisted metal and blackened appliances, although some were unscathed. Kate Brown said Friday “dozens of people” are missing from the large wildfires that have burned across the state.