16 dead in LA wildfires, according to county medical examiner’s office

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office confirmed the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 16.

The total of confirmed fatalities stands at 16 victims, and the cases remain under investigation. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire, and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the coroner’s office said in a statement on Saturday evening.

 Wildfires began to spread across Los Angeles County on January 7. According to meteorologists, dry and windy weather was the cause of the rapid spread of the fires. Evacuation notices were sent to nearly 180,000 residents. The fire has destroyed more than 12,300 structures in the region, with damage estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.