In Los Angeles, California, a wildfire in January this year resulted in numerous deaths. On July 22nd, U.S. officials confirmed that after more than six months, another body had been found, raising the death toll from the fires to 31.
The Los Angeles County government stated in a declaration on the 22nd that forensic authorities received a report on the 21st and went to investigate the area of Altadena in the county, confirming the discovery of another body. The identity of the deceased has not yet been determined.
Since the beginning of January this year, “Eaton,” “Paleycez,” and several smaller wildfires have caused significant damage to the Los Angeles area, destroying over 16,000 buildings. As of July 22nd, “Eaton” and “Paleycez” respectively killed 19 and 12 people.
According to Agence France-Presse, relevant departments are still investigating the causes of the “Eaton” and “Paleycez” wildfires, with the focus currently being on whether power line failures were the cause of the fires.
The cleanup and post-disaster work for the Los Angeles wildfires is not yet complete, and some areas have begun reconstruction while others have been leveled.
From past experiences, clearing up wildfire debris typically takes months or even longer. In 2018, Pasadena, California, faced a wildfire that took about a year for relevant departments to transport enough debris to a landfill to fill more than 300,000 trucks.
In recent months, Los Angeles authorities have started offering free blood lead tests to residents affected by the wildfires, assessing whether the harmful pollutants produced by the fires have impacted their health.