Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for YES! Magazine, Federica Armstrong explains how volunteer archaeologists have trained dogs in forensics to help identify the cremated ashes of loved ones after the destruction of wildfires.

· How is this service helping individuals find closure with the loss caused by wildfires? 

· Interested in reading more? Check out this model for wildfire disaster relief. 

Northern California’s Camp Fire in Butte County became the deadliest wildfire in the last 100 years when more than 80 people died. The fire was contained by the end of November, but now wildfire survivors are urgently searching the debris for the cremated remains of family members kept in urns in some of the nearly 14,000 residences that were destroyed.

These “cremains” are now mixed in the ashes and debris of burned homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency responds to natural disasters such as wildfires by removing debris and toxic substances. And for many families, the thought that these ashes could end up in a toxic waste dump adds to an already tragic situation.

A volunteer team of archaeologists is using dogs trained in forensics to help before the debris removal activities commence.

After the Santa Rosa Tubbs Fire in 2017, archaeologist Alex DeGeorgey teamed up with dog handlers and dogs from the Institute for Canine Forensics. So far, 243 sets of cremains from 181 homes in Paradise have been found, all by volunteers.

Read the full article about distinguishing the ashes from wildfires by Federica Armstrong at YES! Magazine.