At least two of the people killed in the Southern California wildfires tried to protect the homes where they raised families and lived for decades, while another stayed behind with his son who had cerebral palsy and could not evacuate.

Twenty-four people are known to have died across the Los Angeles area after destructive wildfires fueled by dry conditions and powerful winds erupted Tuesday. Thousands of structures have been destroyed and roughly 180,000 people have been forced from their…