The Path of Flames: Understanding and Responding to Fatal Wildfires

The Path of Flames: Understanding and Responding to Fatal Wildfires is an edited volume covering the complexities of response and recovery issues relative to catastrophic wildfires.

As wildfires become more frequent throughout the world—and the loss of life greater, especially among residents trapped in the path of the flames—it is essential that agencies in fire-prone areas understand the complexity of the response as it relates to finding and identifying the remains of those who perished. While covering wildfire dynamics, risks for vulnerable populations, and the emergency response to wildfires, this book focuses largely on the recovery of human remains within the context of the overall response to mass disasters resulting from wildfires. As such, search protocols, staffing needs, pre-event coordination and organization, and logistical support are addressed. The scientific basis for understanding how fire will affect human remains—as well as how the level of destruction can be interpreted—is also addressed.

Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of the field, this volume covers forensic issues relating to the recovery of remains, forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, forensic odontology, and forensic pathology. The book also includes contributions from international wildfire response professionals looking at global best practices in wildfire response and human remains recovery. Specifically, several chapters cover the lessons learned from the devasting Camp Fire of 2018 in California that led to the deaths of 85 people. The Camp Fire burned nearly 19,000 structures and was ultimately the most destructive—and deadly—in California’s history.

The Path of Flames is a one-of-a-kind reference that serves as a valuable resource for professionals working in the areas of emergency services, search and rescue, law enforcement, fire service, disaster planning and response, victim recovery and identification, and mass disaster and mass fatality response.

Ashley Kendell, Ph.D., is  an Associate Professor and Forensic Anthropologist at California State University, Chico (Chico State). She is also a POST-certified instructor who teaches forensic anthropology and archaeology through the Institute of Criminal Investigation. Prior to beginning her position at Chico State, she was a visiting professor at the University of Montana and the forensic anthropologist for the state of Montana. While completing her doctorate at Michigan State University she worked as a Medico-legal Death Investigator and was a Registry Diplomate of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators for five years.

Alison Galloway, Ph.D., D-ABFA is a board-certified forensic anthropologist and Professor Emerita from University of California, Santa Cruz. She has worked on wildfire recovery including the Camp, Almeda and Caldor Fires and taught for 12 years with a fatal fire investigation course. She has edited books on human evolution, blunt force trauma, and forensic anthropology and the US judicial system.

Colleen Milligan, Ph.D., D-ABFA is a Professor and Chair of Anthropology at California State University, Chico (Chico State). She is a board-certified foresnic anthropologist and Co-Director of the Human Identification Lab at Chico State. The Human Identification Lab at Chico State regularly provides forensic anthropological analysis, recovery services, and mass disaster/mass fatality response services for law enforcement throughout California. Prior to her position at Chico State, she was a Fellow with the Department of Homeland Security.