DNA firm schooled in war zones helps ID fire victims

THE remains of victims charred beyond recognition in the California wildfires are being identified by a pioneering DNA analysis company that primarily works in war zones and at crime scenes.

ANDE, the only rapid DNA analysis company approved by the FBI for work on military, forensic, homeland security and intelligence projects, was hired by Butte County to identify remains of some of the 56 people killed in northern California’s camp fire.

Coroner-led recovery teams, cadaver dogs and a National Guard contingent scouring debris from the deadliest fire in California’s history turn over tissue and bone fragments to the ANDE team, which generates DNA IDs within two hours.

Traditional techniques typically take weeks to generate a DNA ID.

On Tuesday, in the hope of identifying DNA from remains as quickly as possible, ANDE set up seven rapid DNA analysis instruments, and had six employees on site with more on the way yesterday.

Once the ANDE team finds a match between remains and DNA provided by a family member, the coroner’s office is alerted so it can make an official pronouncement of death.

Extreme heat can often destroy DNA, causing traditional DNA analysis methods to fail.

Rapid DNA analysis has proven to be more effective in identifying DNA from burnt remains and bone fragments, which makes it an especially valuable tool in such tragedies.