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LA County Sheriff's Department working to locate more than 30 missing persons from wildfires

Search continues to dozens of missing persons from Eaton and Palisades fires
Search continues to dozens of missing persons from Eaton and Palisades fires 03:07

Well over a week after wildfires quickly spread across Southern California causing chaos and forcing last-minute evacuations, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is working to identify and locate dozens of missing people.

The sheriff's department homicide bureau has dedicated its efforts to locating individuals who were reported missing during the Eaton and Palisades fires. As of Thursday, the unit has received 43 missing persons reports relating to the fires.

Scenes from the aftermath of the Eaton Fire.
Altadena, CA - January 15: Ventura County Fire Urban Search and Rescue along with San Diego Urban Search and Rescue search with Human Remain (HR) dogs through what use to be a pizza restaurant along Lake Ave. at Mendocino St. during the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Getty Images

Twelve of those people reported missing have been located safely. There are 31 active cases that are still under investigation. The sheriff's department reported 24 active cases from the Eaton Fire and 7 active cases from the Palisades Fire.

The Sheriff's Department has identified these people as missing:

  • Charles Ross
  • Delores Ann Jenkins
  • Patricia Diann McKenna
  • Stacey Elizabeth Darden
  • Kimberly Dale Winiecki
  • Friedli Miva Wheatley
  • Lora Swayne
  • Eric Wilson Wall
  • Diana Elizabeth Webb
  • Carolyn Ann Burns
  • Oswald Gerhard Altmetz
  • Johnnie Mildred Downs
  • Roosevelt Pullem
  • Martha Ann Howard
  • Kevin Joseph Devine
  • Timothy George Hanley
  • Antron Jamal Wallace

At several news conferences, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has said search and rescue teams deploy every day rummaging through debris looking for human remains.

Several individuals who have died have been recovered from burned structures through searches with the assistance of cadaver dogs from both fire sites.

The Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Unit is releasing missing persons bulletins and contacting the families of all active cases.

"These bulletins identify persons who have been reported as a missing person and the bulletins will remain in circulation until the missing person is located or identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. This continued effort ensures the public's assistance in locating those missing and supports families awaiting answers," the sheriff's department said. 

Any human remains that are found by search crews are examined by the county medical examiner for identification.

"If you need to report anyone missing associated to the fire-affected areas, please contact your local law enforcement agency to file a missing person report," the sheriff's department said. 

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