Remains identified as off-duty Forest Service firefighter missing since 2020 in Big Bear area

BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) - Authorities positively identified the remains of an off-duty Forest Service firefighter last seen nearly five years ago in the Big Bear area.

Carlos Alexander Baltazar, 35, a member of the United States Forest Service Interagency Hotshot Crew, was reported missing by family on September 24, 2020.

His vehicle and backpack were located in the Big Bear area on Sept. 20, 2020. Once the missing person's report came in, authorities said the search intensified with aviation, a K9, and a ground search. A K9 was able to track Baltazar's scent but it was eventually lost.

There were few updates over the years regarding the search for Baltazar, however, that changed this past October. A hunter found a human skull on Smarts Rancho Road, north of Big Bear. Police were notified and located additional human remains.

On Tuesday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed the remains were those of Baltazar. The determination was made utilizing DNA.

The agency said the cause of his death remains undetermined.

Baltazar was a member of the United States Forest Service Interagency Hotshot Crew.