Man, 55, Killed While Trying to Protect His Home from Wildfire Remembered as Beloved Malibu Resident: ‘One-of-a-Kind’

• The mother of Randall “Randy” Miod, 55, told CNN that her son died in the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires
• "He just felt so blessed to be able to live in Malibu," said Carol Smith, Miod's mother. "That was his dream come true because he’d been surfing since he was a teenager”
• Miod's home, dubbed the "Crab Shack," was a popular hangout for his friends

A 55-year-old man was killed trying to protect his Malibu, Calif., home from the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, according to his mother. 

“He’d been through so many of these fires and made it through unscathed,” Carol Smith told CNN about her son Randall “Randy” Miod, “I think he thought he could do it again. Now that I’m realizing how many memories he had in that home, I can understand why he didn’t want to leave.”

Miod is one of at least 24 people who died in the wildfires. Smith told CNN that authorities found human remains at her son’s home while his roommates have been accounted for. 

“[His home] was his prized possession,” Smith said. “That’s the one and only house he ever owned. He just felt so blessed to be able to live in Malibu. That was his dream come true because he’d been surfing since he was a teenager.”

Smith recalled a conversation she had with Miod on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in which he said he had a garden hose ready to battle the flames. She thinks her son didn’t know how intense the fire would become.

Miod had divided his time between managing restaurants and surfing over the decades, CNN reported.

“He used to cut class in high school to go surfing,” Smith said.  “ I can remember one time I had to hide his surfboard. I said, ‘You are supposed to be in the school. You’re not supposed to be at the beach.’ ”

Miod’s red barn-style home, which he originally rented 30 years ago and then later purchased, was known as the "Crab Shack." Located on the Pacific Coast Highway, the home became a hangout for Miod’s friends.

“He was just kind of a magnet for people. And people just loved him and he loved people. He was a very kind person,” said Smith of her son. “There was always a party, wherever Randy went, there was a party.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

Miod’s death was also confirmed by Tracy Park, a local gallery owner, The Malibu Times reported.

Park and an Instagram user, who goes by the handle @mister.1987.og, shared a tribute to Miod — who was regarded as a beloved figure in Malibu — on the photo-sharing platform on Friday, Jan. 10.

“I met Randy as a kid,” wrote the user. “We used to ride skateboards in Chatsworth where he grew up. He was such a cool and fun surfer dude with the blonde hair and long bangs. He was like Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times. It was always fun with him.”

“It was always a wild and great time,” the user later wrote about Miod’s “Crabshack” home serving as a hangout for friends. “I have so many memories with him and I randomly bumped into him only 2 days before the fire. It was a destined farewell. I’m broken, but he’s is only that much more of a legend now. 😢😫😔 SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE 🏝️🤙🏼”

Corina Cline, a friend of Miod, told The Washington Post that the 55-year-old loved Malibu and described him as a “one-of-a-kind person.”

Another friend, Chris Wizner, tells PEOPE that Miod was "a surf legend" in the area.

"Everyone knows him for like, two different sides: There's the side where everybody knew him as 'Craw' or 'Crawdad,' and he's just a surfer. You know, he's funny, he's always the life of the party," Wizner says. "But then there was also Randy, aka Randall, and that guy was the hardest-working, humble guy. He loved his friends, loved his cats."

On why he didn’t evacuate his home, Cline said to the Post, “I think he loved his place so much he thought, ‘You know what? I think I’m going to stay. I’m going to help save it.’ ”

As of Monday, Jan. 13, the Palisades fire has burned through nearly 24,000 acres and destroyed 1,280 structures, while the Eaton fire has covered over 14,000 acres and demolished 1,902 structures, according to Cal Fire.

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.