SANTA CLARITA >> Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man whose body was discovered late Saturday inside a car charred by the raging Sand fire in Santa Clarita, which has consumed more than 22,000 acres and 18 homes, authorities said Sunday.
The body, described only as that of a man, was discovered about 7:20 p.m. in the 26700 block of Iron Canyon Road, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
“Firefighters battling the Sand fire discovered the remains of an unknown person inside a burned small compact sedan that was parked in the driveway of a residence,” Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the sheriff’s Information Bureau said in a written statement. “At this time, there is no indication that the death was a criminal event.”
Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner’s investigators were working to determine the identity of the victim, as well as his cause of death.
The Sand fire ignited Friday afternoon near the 14 Freeway and Sand Canyon Road, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which was working to battle the flames in unified command with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Eighteen homes were destroyed by the fire, and another was damaged, authorities announced Sunday morning.
“Residents in Sand Canyon and Placenta Canyon should remain vigilant. Residents in Soledad Canyon going into Agua Dulce and Acton should remain on high alert,” USFS officials said in a statement.
An estimated 1,500 homes and 100 commercial structures were threatened by the fire, with tens of thousands more potentially in harms way, depending on the fire’s behavior in the coming hours and days.
Hundreds of homes remained under evacuation orders.
Officials initially established an evacuation center at Golden Valley High School, but moved it to Hart High School, 24825 Newhall Ave., Saturday night, sheriff’s officials said. Another evacuation center was established at the Lakeview Terrace Recreation Center, 11075 Foothill Blvd. in Lakeview Terrace.
More than 1,600 firefighters were fighting the Sand fire Sunday, using 122 engines, 39 hand crews, 8 bulldozers and 15 helicopters, according to the USFS. It was 10 percent contained.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.