Altadena man's missing person case highlights desperate search for loved ones amid fires
Jan 16, 2025
Search and rescue crews continue to check on missing people reports and addresses where people were last seen before brush fires broke out in Los Angeles County.
It’s a painstaking process that has many families waiting for answers while others receive tragic news of their loss as the county medical examiner’s office releases news on the death toll. Among those who are waiting to hear an update on a missing loved one are the relatives of 54-year-old Kevin Devine.
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Devine is a substitute teacher who lives on Boston Street in Altadena. His home burned down in the Eaton Fire and he hasn’t been in contact with his family since last Tuesday after the blaze initially broke out.
With Devine’s relatives living out of state, they enlisted the help of Meredith Anderson to locate their loved one. She said she once lived next door to Devine’s property and is connected to the neighborhood because her brother and cousin now live in her former home. She was one of the first people the missing family’s found when they could not reach him.
“They had no contacts for anyone local,” Anderson said. “They don’t live in state, so his best friend of 30 years started Googling all the addresses around his address and found my phone number because I lived there for many years.”
Anderson shared Devine’s landlord lived on site and ensured all tenants on the property knew when they were ordered to evacuate. The man’s mother told NBC4 she last heard from her son around 9 p.m. Jan. 7 via text when he assured her that he was OK. It’s been radio silence then.
Devine’s car remains packed with boxes and other materials. It’s still parked near his home and was not burned in the fire.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said officials searched the property where Kevin’s home once was and cleared it. Rescue teams did not find any human remains in the area.
The desperate search for Devine highlights the unease others who may be missing a loved one amid the fire feel. Anyone who is missing a loved one can contact the Red Cross to fill out a report for reunification. Click here for more information.