Burned human remains present major challenges in forensic identification due to extensive thermal degradation of soft tissue, bone, and cellular DNA. This study compares the effectiveness of Short Tandem Repeat (STR) typing and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing in burned remains received for forensic analysis between November 2010 and August 2012 at the School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University. Twenty-five samples representing varying degrees of burn severity were analysed using standard nuclear DNA and mtDNA extraction protocols, STR multiplex amplification, and sequencing of mitochondrial hypervariable regions. STR typing produced complete or partial profiles in 64% of cases, with success strongly dependent on burn severity and complete failure in samples exposed to extreme temperatures. In contrast, mtDNA sequencing achieved a 96% success rate and remained amplifiable even in severely burned and calcined specimens. The results demonstrate the superior resilience and reliability of mtDNA compared with STR markers in thermally compromised remains. The findings support a tiered forensic workflow in which STR typing is attempted first, followed by mtDNA analysis when nuclear DNA is degraded, thereby improving the likelihood of successful identification in fire-related forensic investigations.