Death toll from Eaton and Palisades fires climbs to 24, officials say

In a grim update Sunday evening, officials with the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner announced that the death toll from fires ravaging the county has climbed to 24.  

All of the fire-related deaths are attributed to either the Palisades Fire which has burned nearly 24,000 acres and is only 11% contained and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena which has scorched more than 14,000 acres and stands at 27% contained. 

Specifically, officials said 16 people had died in the Eaton Fire and eight as a result of the Palisades Fire.  

Thousands of structures of structures have also been destroyed as a result of the wildfires.

The DME’s office, according to an earlier news release, is working with local law enforcement agencies to respond to reported fatalities around L.A. County, though the process has been slow due to the dangers of the ongoing fires that include downed power lines, gas leaks and smoldering debris.  

Out of the 24 lives lost, only one has been publicly identified by the department: 66-year-old Victor Shaw, who, according to loved ones, died from the Eaton Fire with a hose in his hand while trying to defend the home that had been in his family for nearly 55 years.

Last week, the DME’s office informed the public that the identification process is likely to take much longer because traditional methods, like visual and fingerprinting identification processes, may not be available to investigators.

“The Department of Medical Examiner understands how important it is to identify those lost in the wildfires and is working diligently, while following safety protocols, to provide the information to the next of kin as soon as reasonably possible,” officials said.