Marvin Hardy Creel, 57, of Grizzly Flats in El Dorado County, California, was last seen on August 16, 2021 during the chaotic evacuations from the Caldor Fire. The last known contacts came August 18, 2021: a brief, disconnected call at about 10:48 a.m. to his nephew Jim Bradford where Creel said Jimmy, it’s your uncle and there was background noise, and a second poor-connection call around 11:30 a.m. to another family member.

Investigators later found Creel’s white Dodge pickup abandoned in the Grizzly Flats area with the keys reportedly still in the ignition. Paperwork, firearms and other personal items he had packed for evacuation were inside the vehicle; family members say he would not have left those behind. Creel is described as a white male, 5 feet 6 inches, 160 to 200 pounds, with brown or blond hair, blue eyes and eyeglasses.

Despite searches by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, his whereabouts remain unknown. If anyone saw Marvin Creel or his pickup during the August 16–18 evacuations, please come forward with information.