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Family believes boy died in fire trying to save grandmother

Family believes boy died in fire trying to save grandmother
Posted at 7:54 PM, Sep 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-11 22:54:31-04

The surviving members of a grief-stricken Oregon family who believe a 13-year-old boy died while trying to save his grandmother in a wildfire detailed their harrowing attempts to escape the fire.

The Statesman Journal reported that 13-year-old Wyatt Tofte of Lyons, Oregon, and his 71-year-old grandmother Peggy Mosso are among the six reported fatalities in the state from the ongoing fires. Wyatt, who was found Wednesday with his dog, is survived by his parents Angela Mosso and Chris Tofte. Angela Mosso is being treated at a burn center in Portland.

More than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated from their homes so far and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones.

The West Coast wildfires so far have consumed more land area than the size of Connecticut. In California, 10 people have died so far, with more missing.