SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS : Caretaker Victim in Fire on Star’s Ranch
Authorities on Sunday identified the man who died in a fire on actor Jack Nicholson’s Ventura County ranch as Howard Erler, 48, a longtime caretaker of the property.
Erler “was almost totally incinerated,” said county Deputy Coroner Mitch Breese. His remains were found Saturday morning in a charred 12-by-50-foot trailer, which was behind the main ranch house on Yerba Buena Road in the northern Santa Monica Mountains.
The fire was started by a propane explosion on Friday afternoon but went undetected until Saturday morning, according to Jackie Noel, a spokeswoman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Nicholson’s publicist could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
