The Redwood Valley Incident.

From the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

On 10-13-2017 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division was able to identify three of the eight persons located thus far who died during the Mendocino Lake Complex Fire which started during the early morning hours of 10-09-2017.

The following persons have been identified:

  • 1.  Kai Logan Shepherd (14 year-old male from Redwood Valley, CA) was found near his family residence in the 11300 block of West Road in Redwood Valley.  It appears he was attempting to evacuate the area on foot when he was overtaken by the fire.
  • 2.  Roy Howard Bowman (87 year-old male from Redwood Valley, CA) was found in the burnt remains of his residence in the 4000 block of Fisher Lake Drive in Redwood Valley.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.
  • 3.  Irma Elsie Bowman (88 year-old female from Redwood Valley, CA) was found in the burnt remains of her residence in the 4000 block of Fisher Lake Drive in Redwood Valley.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.

Roy Howard Bowman and Irma Elsie Bowman were a married couple.

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On 10-19-2017 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division was able to identity the remaining five persons who died during the Mendocino Lake Complex Fire which started during the early morning hours of 10-09-2017.

The identifications were made from dental records with the assistance of Doctor Jim Wood who is the District 2 California State Assembly-member.

The identifications made were as follows:

  • 1.  Steve Bruce Stelter (56 year-old male from Redwood Valley, CA) was found near a vehicle outside his residence in the 11300 block of West Road in Redwood Valley.  It appeared he was preparing the vehicle to be used to evacuate the area when he was overtaken by the fire.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.
  • 2.  Janet Kay Costanzo (71 year-old female from Redwood Valley, CA) was found in the burnt remains of the residence she shared with her boyfriend, Steve Bruce Stelter, in the 11300 block of West Road in Redwood Valley.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.
  • 3.  Jane Gardiner (83 year-old female from Redwood Valley, CA) was found in the burnt remains of her residence she shared with her caregiver, Elizabeth Charlene Foster, in the 12500 block of Tomki Road in Redwood Valley.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.
  • 4.  Elizabeth Charlene Foster (64 year-old female from Redwood Valley, CA) was found in the burnt remains of the residence she shared with Jane Gardiner in the 12500 block of Tomki Road in Redwood Valley.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.
    Jane Gardiner and Elizabeth Charlene Foster had telephoned Gardiner’s step-son on 10-09-2017 at approximately 0130 hours.  During the telephone conversation the step-son was told there was fire all around the residence and the pair were awaiting evacuation by the fire department. 
  • 5.  Margaret Stephenson (86 year-old female from Redwood Valley, CA) was found in the burnt remains of her residence in the 12800 block of Tomki Road in Redwood Valley.  It appeared she was evacuating through the residence’s garage when she was overtaken by the fire.  The residence was completely destroyed by the fire.