POTRERO–Local residents who launched a search of a couple who disappeared during the Border Fire in Potrero found two charred bodies Wednesday morning.
According to county officials, the human remains were found in the 28000 block of Highway 94 in Potrero. The address was under mandatory evacuation when the Border Fire broke out on June 19.
A deputy from the Campo Sheriff’s Substation was first notified about the male and female possibly missing on June 26. A concerned citizen had no information on the address of the couple or their names.
On June 27, Red Cross provided a deputy with the couple’s address. The deputy immediately opened a missing person’s report and searched the property with CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) personnel. They searched five structures, two vehicles, a trailer and the grounds, but did not locate the missing couple. As part of a missing person investigation, deputies also searched local hospitals and jails for the couple. The couple was entered into a national missing persons database.
On Tuesday, Sheriff’s Bomb/Arson along with CAL FIRE continued the search on the property. Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) was scheduled to send a search dog, but it was diverted to Valley Center for a missing person at risk.
Identification of the remains, notification of the family, as well as cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
CAL FIRE reports the Border Fire is 97 per cent contained. The blaze has burned 977,609 acres.
