More than six months after the Eaton and Palisades fires ravaged the Los Angeles region, authorities have recovered the remains of an additional victim, raising the death toll from January’s fires to 31, authorities announced Tuesday.
A Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner response team was summoned to the 10 block of Venezia Court in Alttadena on Monday to investigate the discovery of possible human remains, representatives said.
“[The team] investigated and determined the remains were human,” according to a medical examiner’s office statement. “The death toll related to the wildfires is now 31 – 19 in the Eaton Fire and 12 in the Palisades.”
The newly discovered victim was yet to be identified.
The Palisades and Eaton fires
The Palisades and Eaton fires both broke out on Jan. 7.
The Palisades fire tore through L.A.’s Palisades neighborhood, destroying nearly 7,000 structures and damaging nearly 1,000 more, according to Cal Fire.
Three civilians were injured by the fire, along with one firefighter.
The Eaton Fire devastated the L.A. County suburb of Altadena, destroying more than 9,400 structures and damaging more than 1,000 others.
Eighteen civilian injuries were reported in the Eaton fire, as well as nine injuries to firefighters.
Official causes have not been determined for either fire, however, several lawsuits have been filed alleging the Eaton Fire was sparked by faulty Southern California Edison electrical transmission equipment.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 31st victim of Los Angeles wildfires discovered in Altadena
Reporting by Brian Day, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
