Kim Kardashian, Chelsea Handler, Chrissy Teigen and More Celebs React to SoCal Wildfires
As Southern California continues to be engulfed by a series of wildfires that have forced the mandatory evacuation of thousands, celebrities are leaving their multimillion-dollar homes to seek safety.
Since Monday, at least 180 structures have been destroyed by raging wildfires across Los Angeles and Ventura County. More than 65,000 acres have burned so far, and L.A.’s notoriously traffic-dense freeways have been clogged with cars as residents evacuate and city officials close routes due to the proximity of the flames. More than 1,700 firefighters are on duty in Ventura County to contain the flames, but many aren’t able to enter the area due to the intensity of the fire.
“Our plan here is to try to stop this fire before it becomes something bigger, so that we don’t have to have a two-front war,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said during a conference with reporters. “These are days that break your heart. But these are also days that show the resilience of our city.”
On Wednesday morning, firefighters were faced with a new blaze in Bel Air, a neighborhood famous for being home to many celebrities. As of now, the homes of Jennifer Aniston, Elon Musk, Beyoncé and JAY-Z are under threat of being affected by the fires. Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Garner and Harrison Ford have homes that may also be in danger if the flames spread.
Many celebrities and their families taken to social media to announce their evacuations as high winds from Santa Ana are expected to fuel the flames this week. Lionel Richie went on Twitter to announce he was canceling a scheduled performance Wednesday to move his family to a “safer place” to escape the fire.
Richie’s former wife and mother to Nicole Richie tweeted her thanks to her ex-husband for rushing to her aid.
Chelsea Handler tweeted early Wednesday morning to announce she was evacuating her Los Angeles-area home, and also took the opportunity to make a dig at President Trump.
Ariana Grande‘s mother, Joan Grande, and her brother, Frankie Grande, expressed gratitude for the Los Angeles Fire Department as they fled their LA-area homes.
Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof announced her family’s evacuation on Twitter, while reaching out to her former costars to check on their safety.
Paris Hilton also detailed her evacuation from her L.A. home.
Luckily, Lea Michele “grabbed what she loved most” and has been staying with good friends.
Other celebrities also sent out their support, and many who live in the area described seeing thick smoke-filled skies.
Media titan Rubert Murdoch’s $28 million property in L.A. was evacuated on Wednesday. “The situation at Moraga Bel Air is very fluid at the moment,” he said in a statement. “The property was evacuated but based on what we are seeing on TV there may be damage to some buildings in the upper vineyard area. We believe the winery and house are still intact. We are monitoring the situation as closely as we can and are grateful to the efforts of all the first responders. Some of our neighbors have suffered heavy losses and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time.