Only Murders in the Building star Eugene Levy is among the latest to be devastated by the raging wildfires in California.
For the unversed, the 78-year-old Canadian actor and comedian lost his home as his $3.9 million residence was tragically destroyed in the blaze in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles after the Westside fire burnt it down.
While having a conversation with the Los Angeles Times, Levy shared that he was “stuck in traffic” while trying to “leave the neighbourhood” before the flames reached.
The American Pie actor went on to describe the fire’s smoke as “pretty black and intense” over Temescal Canyon.
“I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark,” he added.
According to the report of Urban Splatter, Levy bought his property in 2006 for $3.9 million, which is a two-story residence and consists of three bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a total of 2,081 square feet.
Notably, it was built in 1950 and has an attached garage, plus a set of curved steps leading from the driveway to the front door.
It is pertinent to mention that Eugene Levy spends most of his life in Toronto, where he raised his children, Dan and Sarah Levy.
Both Dan and Sarah appeared with their father on the famous comedy series Schitt’s Creek.
Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton and Eugene Levy are among celebrities who have lost their homes in the wildfires tearing through several neighbourhoods of Los Angeles, which have killed at least five people and destroyed more than 1,100 buildings so far.
Six wildfires were raging across Los Angeles county. The affluent Pacific Palisades, where many famous Hollywood names live, has been devastated since the fires began on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, another fire broke out in Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills, with the Los Angeles fire department ordering an immediate evacuation of parts of the neighbourhood.
Crystal, 76, and his wife, Janice, confirmed they had lost their Pacific Palisades home of 46 years in a statement on Wednesday.
“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” the Crystals said.
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.
“We pray for the safety of the fire fighters and first responders. The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of amazing people and we know in time it will rise again. It is our home.”
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LA hasn’t seen anything like this before: Pacific Palisades residents react to wildfires – video
The home of the Schitt’s Creek actor Levy, who is the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, was also incinerated on Wednesday. Levy has yet to comment, but spoke to media on Tuesday while stuck in traffic gridlock as inhabitants evacuated. “I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
The actor Cary Elwes confirmed on Wednesday that his family had safely evacuated but said his Malibu home was destroyed. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” he wrote. “Our hearts go out to all the families impacted by this tragic event and we also wish to extend our gratitude to all the fire fighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly through the night and are still at it.”
The actor-musician Mandy Moore posted a video of devastated streets in Altadena near Pasadena on Instagram. “Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family,” she wrote. “Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”
Hilton said her home in Malibu, where her young son took his first steps, was among those lost to the flames. “The devastation is unimaginable. To know so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking,” she wrote.
Visual explainer: why are the LA wildfires so bad?
Other celebrities who have lost homes in the wildfires so far include the actors Anthony Hopkins, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and James Woods, reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, songwriter Diane Warren and TV host Ricki Lake.
The actor Jamie Lee Curtis said on Wednesday that her home had survived, but said the Palisades church where she had attended sobriety meetings two decades ago had been destroyed. “Our beloved neighborhood is gone. Our home is safe. So many others have lost everything,” she wrote on Instagram.
Joe Biden said on Wednesday that his son, Hunter Biden, may have lost his home. “My son lives out here and his wife,” he said during a briefing on the fires on Wednesday. “Their – they got a notification yesterday that their home is probably burned to the ground. Today, it appears that maybe it’s still standing. We’re not sure.”
With the entertainment industry halted by the fires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday that it would extend the deadline for voting in this year’s Oscar nominations by two days. The Critics Choice awards, which were set to be held on Sunday in Santa Monica, have been rescheduled for 26 January.
Biden has formally signed off on a federal disaster declaration that allows federal funding to be made available to affected individuals in the county for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
Fire weather – a combination of heat, drought and strong wind – is increasing in some parts of all continents. Human-caused climate breakdown is responsible for a higher likelihood of fire and bigger burned areas in southern Europe, northern Eurasia, the US and Australia, with some scientific evidence of increases in southern China. Climate breakdown has increased the wildfire season by about two weeks on average across the globe.
