Posted on 11/24/2007 4:37:19 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Celebrities flee, homes gutted as wildfire ravages Malibu Nov 24 05:47 PM US/Eastern Hollywood stars were among nearly 10,000 people forced to flee as wind-driven wildfires tore through the celebrity enclave of Malibu on Saturday, gutting at least 35 multi-million dollar homes and threatening hundreds more, officials and reports said.
Fires erupted at around 3:30 am (1130 GMT) officials said, spreading rapidly through tinder-dry brush as winds packing gusts of up to 50 mph fanned the inferno, the second major blaze to hit Malibu in the space of a month.
By 10:30 am (1830 GMT), around 2,200 acres had been scorched as the flames burned unchecked, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
Around 1,700 firefighters had been deployed to tackle the fires, backed up by 23 aircraft including water-dropping helicopters and a DC-10 which was pummeling the infernos with flame retardant.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky told a press conference 10,000 residents had been evacuated. Only one injury had been reported so far, a firefighter who received burns which were not thought serious, he added.
Local media reports said actors Matthew McConaughey and Minnie Driver were among those forced to evacuate while Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Flea's home was destroyed by the flames.
Yaroslavsky said winds blowing across the region had begun to ease later Saturday, offering encouragement to firefighters. However he warned the situation could change rapidly.
"It's a very dynamic and dangerous situation," he told reporters. "The winds have died down but we need to caution everyone that winds can start again in a hurry. It does not mean people are out of danger.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I don’t wish ill on any of these people, but I just can’t pull together a whole bunch of tears when people with significantly fewer resources also lost all that they had and will be a long time re-building
Maybe his ears were burnin..
Prayers for your safety and the safety of all.... I cannot imagine what you are going through....
Not if I can get hold of him first!!!
Thank you very much......not everybody in Malibu is a leftie! I certainly am not!
I am very sorry for your loss, but glad you are blessed with those around YOU that have a character “foundation” that most Hollywood types may never know.
YOU are an idiot!
Googbye!
I think that Flea might have another F word combo just for you ;-)
I haven't seen much evidence in these residential areas of Southern California that removing underbrush is "against the law." The state seems to have strict laws requiring brush clearance that it seems many homeowners ignore.
Now there's a good idea.
Let the state that is home to this website that you are posting on burn.
Let Free Republic burn.
Let all the people in California that donate more money to Free Republic than any other state burn.
You want to make up the difference from what ever part of the world you live in?
And give a home to the servers of Free Republic?
If so, keep fanning the flames.
Minnie can stay with me....
Al, here is the female(?) version of MNJohnnie.
I can’t decide which one is more idiotic; can you?
I pray that Jesus will help all of the people and animals that are in the path of the fire.
Patently untrue. You know nothing.
Now they’re paying the stupidity tax, and it’s a really big bill.
Insane.
Matthew McConaughey... gets a double-whammy... his sips got owned by the Fighting Farmers... again... yesterday.
Me too.
Matthew can stay with me!
It is hard to feel bad for some of the more verbal celebs that live the lifestyle they do ..... It is unfortunate that good folk like you have to get mixed in with that crowd just because you have the same zip code...
I do hope all remains well for you....
Karl Rove was seen in the vicinity of the fires origin with a five gallon gasoline can and a BIC lighter.
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