Heartbreaking Final Words of ‘Blues Brothers’ Star Before She Died in Wildfire

Dalyce Curry, the iconic actress known for her role in The Blues Brothers, tragically passed away on January 8 at the age of 95. She succumbed to a devastating wildfire that ravaged her Altadena neighborhood. Her granddaughter, Dalyce Kelley, shared the poignant final moments she spent with her grandmother, offering a heartbreaking glimpse into Curry’s last hours.

Kelley had accompanied her grandmother to her Krenz Street cottage late that evening. Despite noticing flames in the distance, Kelley felt reassured; the fire was miles away, and no evacuation orders had been issued.

“She kissed me and said, ‘I love you,’” Kelley recalled in an emotional interview. “I said, ‘I love you too.’ I tucked her into bed and left, thinking she’d be safe.”

Little did they know, the Eaton Fire would soon engulf over 40,000 acres, claiming at least 24 lives, including Curry’s.

Emergency alerts were sent at 3:30 a.m., but Curry, like many elderly residents, did not own a cellphone. Kelley described her grandmother as “a creature of habit” who preferred the simplicity of her landline. “By the time notices were issued, it was already too late for so many people,” Kelley said.

When Kelley awoke to news of the spreading fire, she rushed back to Altadena, a grueling 25-mile drive through smoke-filled roads. Police barricades and overwhelmed emergency crews added to the chaos.

“The whole area was unrecognizable,” Kelley said. “People were screaming about their homes, their loved ones. It was a nightmare.”

Kelley’s desperate search for her grandmother spanned multiple evacuation centers but yielded no results. Days later, she received the devastating news: human remains, identified through a CT scan Curry had undergone just before the fire, were found in the rubble of her home.

“She’d never had a CT scan in her 95 years, and that one scan became the only way we could confirm it was her,” Kelley said tearfully. “All they found was part of her skull and her eyeglasses.”

Curry’s death has reignited concerns about how wildfire warnings are issued, especially for vulnerable populations. Kelley emphasized the need for systems that don’t rely solely on technology.

“Seniors like my grandmother don’t use cellphones, and many can’t hear alarms,” she said. “We need solutions that account for everyone.”

Curry’s illustrious career spanned decades, but her granddaughter remembers her most as a warm and loving matriarch. “She had a way of making everyone feel special,” Kelley said.

As the community mourns the loss of one of Hollywood’s treasured stars, her story serves as a stark reminder of the increasing dangers of wildfires and the urgent need for improved emergency preparedness.