A woman who remained on the list of those unaccounted for in last November's Camp Fire in Paradise, California turned up this week about 20 miles south in the town of Oroville, where she is from.
47-year-old Wendy Carroll is alive and apparently well, and a detective with the Butte County Sheriff's Office — presumably someone who was familiar with her from before the fire — spotted her walking down the street in Oroville on Thursday night. As the Chronicle reports, Carroll knew she had been listed among the missing, but did not reach out to authorities to clarify the matter because of "unresolved legal issues," per the Sheriff's Office.
Carroll's friends added her to the list of the missing because they believed she was staying with someone in Paradise on the morning of the fire. It's unclear how she laid low for 238 days and no one managed to tell the authorities she was alive.
The death toll in the fire still stands at "at least 85," and until last night, there were two people still listed as missing, including Ms. Carroll.
That list is now down to one: 51-year-old Sara Martinez-Fabila. Investigators continue to try to determine whether Martinez-Fabila was seen after the fire, or where she may be living now. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office would appreciate any tips or information about her at 530-538-7671.