Some evacuation orders could be lifted early next week for areas devastated by a Northern California wildfire, and residents should be prepared to find bones or bone fragments as they sift through their properties, an official said Wednesday.
The death toll from the nation’s deadliest wildfire in a century was steady at 88 people, and 196 are on a list of those unaccounted for, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said at an evening press conference. The coroner’s office has positively identified 35 people who died in the fire and tentatively identified another 47.
Honea clarified a previous statement he made claiming that some fire victims might have been “completely consumed” by flames. Experts subsequently informed him that in most cases at least some bone fragments were likely left behind after the firestorm, Honea said.
“There should be remains,” he said, adding that people who find bone fragments should not disturb the area and call authorities for potential identification.