LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nearly three months after two wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area, officials said the death toll from the blazes had reached 30.
A team responded Wednesday following a report of possible human remains at a scorched property in Altadena, within the Eaton Fire burn zone, the Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement.
An investigation determined the remains were human, bringing the total deaths from that blaze to 18, the statement said. Twelve people died in the Palisades Fire.
To identify charred remains, the medical examiner's office said it compares dental records and DNA, reviews health records and uses radiographs to search for medical prosthetics or devices. The office also works with law enforcement to gather information on suspected missing persons.
“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,” the statement said.
The two blazes ignited during fierce winds on Jan. 7 and destroyed nearly 17,000 structures, including homes, schools, businesses and places of worship. Rebuilding will take years.
The causes of the fires are still under investigation.
Dozens of lawsuits claim Southern California Edison utility equipment ignited the Eaton Fire. Pedro Pizarro, president of Edison International, the utility's parent company, said this week it's still too early to tell if electrical infrastructure is to blame.
“We still don’t know whether Edison equipment caused the Eaton fire. It’s certainly possible it did. I’ve pledged to be transparent with the public as we continue to investigate,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
FILE - A property burned by the Eaton Fire is seen Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)
FILE - A message is left on the remains of a property destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $500 million, 14-year contract that starts in 2026, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, a deal that removes what would have been the biggest star from next offseason’s free-agent market.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity early Monday because the agreement had not been announced.
Guerrero’s deal does not include any deferred money, the person said.
Guerrero agreed in January to a $28.5 million, one-year contract that avoided arbitration and the four-time All-Star first baseman had said he wouldn’t negotiate after he reported to spring training in mid-February. Still, talks with his agent continued well into the regular season.
Guerrero got the third-largest contract in total dollars behind outfielder Juan Soto’s $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets that started this season and two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers that began last year and is heavily deferred.
Guerrero's $35.71 million average annual value under the new deal ranks eighth among current contracts behind the agreements of Ohtani ($70 million), Soto ($51 million), Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge ($40 million), Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom ($37 million), Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell ($36.4 million) and Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole ($36 million).
A son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, the Blue Jays star turned 26 last month and would have been a free agent this fall at a relatively young age.
Guerrero is a .277 career hitter with 160 homers and 511 RBIs. He's batting .256 with no homers and four RBIs in the first 10 games this season.
Seeking its first World Series title since winning championships in 1992 and 1993, Toronto notably failed to land Ohtani, Soto and Roki Sasaki. The Blue Jays agreed to a $92.5 million, five-year contract with outfielder Anthony Santander, a $15.5 million, one-year contract with right-hander Max Scherzer and a $33 million, three-year contract with reliever Jeff Hoffman.
Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette, a two-time All-Star, remains eligible for free agency after this year's World Series.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returns to the dugout following eighth-inning baseball game action against the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays first base Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates a win over the Washington Nationals following MLB baseball action in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays first base Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates hitting a double during the third inning of MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) smiles after being tagged at second base by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 4, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Toronto Blue Jays first base Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) looks on prior to MLB baseball action against the Washington Nationals, in Toronto, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Thomas Skrlj/The Canadian Press via AP)
