K-9s detect human remains in vacant building destroyed in massive North Hills fire
While crews continue to dig through the rubble, they noted that the K-9s may have only smelled blood or a bone fragment.
NORTH HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A building fire is still smoldering in North Hills one day after it first started. Now, crews are searching for possible human remains in the rubble.
Two K-9s at the scene detected human remains in the vacant building that burned, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Both K-9s reportedly marked a positive hit in the same area, about 20 feet into the building.
"The dog actually made a hit, indicating that there is perhaps a body. What we did is systematically ran another K-9, and it actually hit in the same location. It's probable, but that means that could just simply be blood. That could be a bone fragment. That doesn't mean there's a human body underneath there," LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said. "Because there's so much rubble, we cannot pull it all up to get to the source of it. We're systematically pulling out the debris, combing through it."
LAFD brought in heavy machinery on Wednesday to pull apart the building and allow firefighters access to the area identified by the K-9s. So far, a body has not been found.
"In some areas, the debris is up to shoulder high, and so, we cannot get access into all parts of that area. Because this has been vacant for some time, there's a concern of homeless people perhaps being inside of there," Scott said.
Two people who live in the apartment building next door, which had to be evacuated, told Eyewitness News they often see as many as 10 homeless people at the vacant building.
"They're constantly in and out, kicking them out. They come back," next door resident Alex Avila said. "I see, like, workers coming, and they'll kick them out, and they'll fix the gates and all that, and then they'll get right back in."
On the night of the fire, tenant Edward Viramontes said he captured a photo of a woman who may have started the fire.
"People got to do what they got to do to survive," said Nikiisha Clyburn, who is among the temporarily displaced. "I'm not blaming them but the risk and the exposure (it caused) innocent people is very scary."
Clyburn and her family said they can't risk the lingering exposure.
"I almost had an asthma attack in the hallway when they were telling us we can go back in our homes," said Marcel Shelby. "They let us go back but the paramedics had to help me up the stairs because I couldn't make it."
The Department of Building and Safety yellow-tagged at least three units in the apartment building next door after they were damaged by the fire, meaning it's not safe to stay there. More than 30 people have been displaced as of Wednesday.
Residents of the apartment budling were seen walking out with bags of their belongings to wait out the demolition somewhere safer.
As the building was being demolished on Wednesday, the fire flared back up. LAFD remains on the scene, putting out any hotspots. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
