The death toll from the Eaton fire increased to 18 on Wednesday after investigators with the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office discovered human remains in Altadena.
A six-person special operations response team responded Wednesday to the 900 block of Boston Street to investigate potential human remains, the Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement. After conducting an investigation, the team confirmed that the remains were human.
The new fatality brings the total deaths during January’s firestorm up to 30. At least 18 people died in the Eaton fire in Altadena and at least 12 people in the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades.
The recently discovered victim, found near the corner of Boston Street and Lake Avenue in Altadena, appears to be the first death from the Eaton fire east of Lake Avenue.
Until now, all of the deaths from the Eaton fire occurred west of Lake Avenue, where residents did not receive an evacuation order until around 3:30 a.m. Jan. 8.
Investigators with the medical examiner’s office are now working to identify the remains.
Due to the charred and burnt condition of remains after intense fire, the medical examiner’s identification process involves a variety of scientific methods, such as comparison of dental records and DNA, review of medical records and use of radiographs to search for medical prosthetics/devices. The office also works with law enforcement agencies to gather information on suspected missing persons.
“Due to the complexity of these methods and the process, it can take considerable time to confirm a decedent’s identity in these types of cases,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement.
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