Remains found in Eaton fire’s path — death toll climbs to 19
Remains found in Eaton fire’s path — death toll climbs to 19
Human remains discovered in the Eaton fire’s path in Altadena have increased the death toll from the Jan. 7 wildfire to 19, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said on Tuesday, July 22.
“The death toll related to the (two) wildfires is now 31 — 19 in the Eaton fire and 12 in the Palisades (fire),” according to a dispatch from the Medical Examiner’s office.
That office reported the remains were found on Monday, July 21, in the 10 block of La Venezia Court and were examined by a six-member Special Operations Response Team.
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The body was not immediately identified, at least publicly.
The Department of Medical Examiner relies on complex scientific methods of identification in such cases due to the condition of the remains. The methods may include dental-record comparison, DNA comparison, a medical-records review, or use of radiographs to look for medical prosthetics and devices with serial numbers.
The Eaton fire ignited around 6:20 p.m. Jan. 7 near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the foothills above Altadena during hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, Cal Fire has said. The blaze burned roughly 14,021 acres over 24 days, destroying an estimated 9,414 structures and damaging another 1,074.
The fire’s cause is unclear.
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Twelve deaths have been confirmed in connection with the Palisades fire, the Medical Examiner’s office said. That blaze started the same day and destroyed 6,833 structures and damaged 973, according to Cal Fire.
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