Lake County >> Law enforcement officers on Wednesday brought in cadaver dogs to find people possibly killed by the Valley fire, Lt. Steve Brooks confirmed.
The specially trained K-9s were searching areas in Middletown and Cobb as authorities continue to investigate cases of four people confirmed missing, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) public information officer said.
Central dispatchers continued to receive calls for welfare checks on Wednesday from friends and family of people with homes in areas of evacuation. Many have been reports of elderly residents with limited mobility.
At least one woman has been killed in the fire so far. The 72-year-old Anderson Spring resident was found inside the remains of her home on Springs Road northeast of Middletown on Saturday. According to Brooks, she was apparently unable to leave the area on her own and responders could not reach the scene in time.
Other non-fatal victims include four firefighters injured during initial attacks. They were transported to the UC Davis Medical Center where they were in stable conditions by Monday.
The number of confirmed missing could increase in the next few days as authorities complete investigations of welfare checks. Brooks advises anyone unable to locate family members to visit the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org where it keeps a list of people in its shelters. They can also call LCSO dispatch at (707) 263-2690 to file a missing person report.
