The Eton Fire’s death toll rose to 18 on Wednesday after investigators from the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office discovered the body of a human in Altadena.
A six-person special operations response team responded to the 900 block of Boston Street on Wednesday and investigated the bodies of potential humans, examiners said in a statement. After conducting the investigation, the team confirmed that the body was human.
The new fatality will draw up to 30 complete deaths during the January fire. At least 18 people were killed in the Eton Fire in Altadena, and at least 12 people were killed in the Palisade Fire in Palisade in the Pacific Ocean.
The recently discovered victim, found near the corner of Boston Street and Lake Avenue in Altadena, appears to be his first death from Eton Fire on Lake Avenue.
To date, all deaths from the Eton fire have occurred west of Lake Avenue. There, residents were not given an evacuation order until around 3:30am in January.
Investigators in the medical inspector’s office are currently working to identify the remains.
Due to the burnt burning conditions of the debris after a severe fire, the inspector’s identification process includes a variety of scientific methods, including comparing dental records and DNA, reviewing medical records, and the use of x-rays to search for medical prostheses/devices. The office will also work with law enforcement to gather information about missing persons.
“Due to the complexity of these methods and processes, it can take quite a while to verify the identity of the deceased in these types of cases,” the examiner’s office said in a statement.
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