Editor’s note: This story and image have been updated to clarify the source of the photo.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Bureau of Land Management is investigating the discovery of dozens of piles of human cremains outside of Las Vegas, NewsNation affiliate KLAS has confirmed.
A person, whom KLAS is allowing to remain anonymous, stumbled on what they described as about 70 piles of ashes on a dirt road outside of Searchlight, they said while providing a photo. Searchlight is a rural community about an hour south of the Las Vegas valley off U.S. 95.
An official with BLM confirms to the station’s 8 News Now Investigators that the piles are human cremains and that the department is actively investigating.
What are generally referred to as “ashes” are pulverized bone, which is left over after a person is cremated.
There is no law in Nevada barring a person from scattering ashes on public land. BLM policy allows for a person to scatter cremated remains; however, the policy limits “commercial distribution of cremated remains.”