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As cleanup crews comb through the scorched remains of homes lost in the Palisades Fire, one unexpected discovery is piling up—charred firearms.
The LAPD says it has recovered hundreds of rifles, shotguns, and handguns from the ashes, many of them damaged beyond recognition.
Now, investigators at the department’s Forensic Science Division are working around the clock to catalog each one.
“You don’t want an unaccounted firearm,” LAPD Detective Pat Hoffman, who heads the department’s gun unit, told NBCLA.
According to Hoffman, every firearm pulled from the rubble is being meticulously examined for serial numbers, makes, models, or any other identifying marks.
Once identified, the guns are logged into California’s Automated Firearm System (AFS), ensuring that ownership records are updated and the weapons are officially marked as destroyed.
Some of the recovered guns were stored in so-called fire-resistant safes, but the inferno’s heat proved too intense even for those precautions. Hoffman noted that in some cases, the blaze melted metal safes and the firearms inside.
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For Hoffman, the effort is about more than cleanup—it’s about protecting both gun owners and law enforcement from future legal confusion. In a state where gun regulations are already complex and onerous, proper documentation after a disaster is key.
While California’s strict storage and reporting laws often put lawful gun owners under a microscope, this LAPD operation offers a rare moment of cooperation.
By cataloging the burned firearms and linking them to their owners, LAPD believes they are helping ensure no one ends up wrongly accused of gun trafficking or illegal possession.
Still, not everyone sees the LAPD’s cataloging effort as a goodwill gesture. Some commenters on social media voiced skepticism, calling it a covert way to track firearms or identify unregistered owners.
One user wrote, “Just another way for them to try to track the guns you own,” while another said, “None will be released back to owners.”
Others questioned the department’s priorities, suggesting the LAPD was more focused on inventorying destroyed firearms than solving the fire’s origin or catching hardened criminals.
What’s your take?
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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It’s not your property LA PD. Hands off!
How many bearer bonds, cash, precious documents, works of art, etc. burned away in the golden state because lefty governments are so incompetent?
how many are going to be arrested for not reporting their guns missing?