(KTLA) – The death toll from January’s historic and devastating Southern California wildfires continues to rise.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office announced that additional human remains were located at a home in Altadena.
Crews responding to the area Monday quickly determined that the suspected remains were human and directly related to the Eaton Fire.
The discovery marked the first new wildfire victim found since April 2.
This yet-to-be-identified person has since been added to L.A. County’s ongoing list of victims from January’s wildfires. The current tally is 31 deaths, including 12 in the Palisades Fire and now 19 in the Eaton Fire.
The Medical Examiner’s Office relies on complex scientific methods to identify human remains which are typically in poor condition from the fires. Scientists utilize dental records, DNA comparisons, radiographs, prosthetic serial numbers and other techniques to identify any remains that come into their possession.
The Medical Examiner’s Office also works with local law enforcement to cross-reference missing persons reports to narrow the search.
“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,” officials said.
There is no current timeline for when, or if, this latest victim will be identified.
Of the 31 people confirmed dead in the blazes, only one other person has yet to be identified. That person’s remains were recovered on Jan. 14, on the 600 block of Lomas Avenue in Pacific Palisades.
A complete list of people confirmed to have lost their lives in the Eaton and Palisades can be found at the website of the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office.
