Bodies Found In Burn Area Of Valley Fire Believed To Be Missing Men
LAKE COUNTY (CBS13) – The bodies of two men reported missing within the burn area of the Valley Fire are believed to have been found, authorities say.
Bruce Beven Burns and Leonard Neft were reported missing in the Hidden Valley and Anderson Springs areas. Wednesday morning, the Lake County Sheriff's Office says search crews discovered human remains in those areas.
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Due to the locations where the bodies were found, authorities believe them to be Burns and Neft.
Neft's wife last heard from him Saturday night. She had told CBS13 that she feared by the time Neft decided to flee the flames, it was already too late.
With Wednesday's discovery, a total of three people are confirmed to have been killed in the Valley Fire. The first victim was confirmed on Sunday.
Despite Wednesday's rain, the Valley Fire continued to grow overnight. It has now burned 73,700 and is still 35 percent contained.
About 585 homes have been confirmed destroyed so far, but that number is expected to increase as crews continue to assess the damage.
The Valley Fire is the ninth most-damaging fire in state history. It is still unclear what caused the fire.