Margaret Devine last communicated with her son, Kevin, on January 7th.
During a phone conversation with her at his residence on Boston Street in Altadena, they discussed the gifts he had received for her. The following day, Margaret managed to retrieve them from a local store in Michigan. However, as night fell, she continuously saw reports about wildfires in Los Angeles and inquired about her son’s well-being.
“I told him, ‘Kevin, you need to evacuate,’ and he replied, ‘Mom, I’m fine,'” she reminisced.
The subsequent events left a peculiar uncertainty regarding Kevin Devine’s situation amidst the Los Angeles wildfires – he remains unaccounted for but not officially declared deceased.
Kevin Devine is still untraceable following the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
(Margaret Devine)
The property owner spotted him in his vehicle outside the apartment just after 9 p.m., but there has been no contact since then. His car is absent from the apartment complex, suggesting that he likely did not return. The family remains unaware of his whereabouts or if he became trapped in the rapidly advancing Eaton Fire.
They have also explored hospitals and convention centers without success. His mother has begun speaking about him in the past tense.
He was a performer. He worked as a substitute educator.
Margaret Devine is not alone in her anguish.
Wildfires devastated residences in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Altadena, leaving numerous individuals unable to escape in time. Firefighters and law enforcement personnel are starting to sift through the debris to recover bodies.
Initially, most individuals reported missing in the fire were located safe, but hope diminishes with each passing day. Margaret and the other children understand that Kevin Devine would reach out to them were he able.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department informed the Times on Thursday that 31 individuals remain unaccounted for, including 24 from the Eaton Fire and seven from the Palisades Fire.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s count of those missing in the Palisades fire slightly varies, stating that five remain unaccounted for instead of seven. Initially, the Los Angeles Police Department reported that 38 individuals were missing in the fire, but later conveyed that 30 were found safe and three had been confirmed deceased.
Authorities have cautioned that the number of individuals still unlocated suggests that the death toll from the fires is likely to increase, though not dramatically. As of Thursday, officials had confirmed 17 fatalities in the Eaton Fire and 10 in the Palisades Fire.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell indicated on Wednesday that efforts to locate and recover bodies are actively in progress.
“They… utilize cadaver dogs to attempt to locate and recover remains. That’s crucial as we carry a responsibility to families with missing loved ones, and we do all we can to assist them. It is important to approach this matter with utmost respect,” he stated. “There may likely be…some individuals whose absence has yet to be reported.”
Mr. McDonnell anticipates that the death toll will increase further.
Cal Fire Deputy State Fire Marshal Michelle Knight assessed the destruction of a residence devastated by the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Wednesday.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday morning, search and rescue squads gathered at the Rose Bowl Incident Command Center near the Altadena area to initiate another search of an extensive section of Altadena. Daily, teams are present to scour through the debris for remains, noted Sgt. Bob Bose of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Others across the county received the news they had been fearing.
Miva Friedli’s residence was engulfed by the fire, but her niece, Ruth Brown, remarked that no one was sure about her status.
The family reported the 86-year-old as missing and was tormented by uncertainty. They shared the hashtag #HelpUsFindMiva, although Brown remained uncertain if she had escaped the flames and vanished elsewhere.
However, on Thursday, coinciding with what would have been Friedli’s 87th birthday, her family confirmed that search and rescue teams had located her body amid the debris of her house.
“It’s a blessing that we found her,” Brown expressed. “If we can achieve some level of closure, we can begin to move forward.”