Los Angeles police hope to reunite firearm owners with guns after devastating Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres on the west side of Los Angeles after being sparked on Jan. 7, 2025.
On Wednesday, the LAPD asked individuals who believe they may have lost a firearm in the Palisades Fire to contact the department's Gun Recovery Unit by email to reconnect with their gun.
In a press release, the LAPD told citizens that in order to start the process, they will need to provide personal identifying information like proof of residential address and a description of their firearm.
"Since January, LAPD officers have been working through the painstaking process of recovering and rendering approximately 500 firearms safe," LAPD Chief of Detectives, Alan Hamilton said. "We recognize that these firearms may hold significant sentimental value to their owners, whether as family heirlooms, historical pieces, or personal mementos, and we are doing our best to reunite them with their owners."
Throughout the process of removing debris, the LAPD and other local agencies and recovery teams located about 500 firearms. Many of the guns sustained severe fire damage, making them difficult to identify.
Although the guns may be in bad condition, the LAPD said it remains committed to ensuring the items are processed, identified and returned to their rightful owners.
To report a lost firearm as a result of the Palisades Fire, community members are encouraged to file a lost property report at any LAPD police station or at lapdonline.org. They can also email the gun recovery unit at palisadesfire@lapd.online.
The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which is responsible for the burning of 14,201 acres, created the worst natural disaster in Los Angeles County history, killing 28 people and damaging or destroying over 16,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Several smaller fires also contributed to the devastation.
At the height of the fires, 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials.
Damage and economic losses are estimated at more than $250 billion, according to private forecaster AccuWeather.
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