A fast-moving wildfire in Southern California has scorched a historic movie site recently used by the HBO series Westworld and forced numerous celebrities to join the thousands fleeing flames that have claimed homes and prompted the total evacuation of the celebrity enclave Malibu.
According to images.dawn.com, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian West, Scott Baio, Rainn Wilson and Guillermo del Toro are among numerous celebrities forced to evacuate their homes, in some cases hurriedly trying to arrange transport for their horses.
Some, like del Toro and Caitlyn Jenner, did not know the fate of their homes, but the wind-driven wildfire has destroyed the home of Dr. Strangedirector Scott Derrickson and the historic Paramount Ranch where shows like HBO’s Westworld and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman were filmed.
The blaze started Thursday night and by Friday had pushed toward Malibu and the Pacific Ocean, prompting evacuations in Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills and other nearby areas.
Alyssa Milano said her home was “in jeopardy” amid her attempts to safely evacuate her five horses. The actress ultimately got the help she needed and tweeted that her horses were safe. “My children are safe. ... Everything with a heartbeat is safe.”
Horses are finally safe. My children are safe. My home is in jeopardy but... everything with a heartbeat is safe. Thank you all for your concern.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) November 9, 2018
To those who insisted on still being hurtful because our political affiliation is different, you are what is wrong with the country.
The celebrity website TMZ reported that Jenner’s home was burned, but the Olympic gold medalist said in an Instagram video that she didn’t know “whether the house made it or not.” She confirmed she was safe.
Kardashian West posted video on Instagram of an area on fire with a message “Pray for Calabasas.” She said she landed back home, spent one hour packing and evacuated shortly afterward.
Gaga also took to social media letting her followers know she evacuated Friday morning as she shared a few videos focused on the smoke-filled skies. The singer said she is “sending my prayers” to everyone impacted by the fire.
Derrickson said he is safe despite losing his home.
We lost our home, but we are all safe and that’s the important thing. Gonna be offline for awhile.
— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) November 9, 2018
Cher is concerned about her house in Malibu, an area where the actress-singer has lived for more than 45 years.
In addition to dozens of homes destroyed, Paramount Ranch’s “Western Town,” a landmark film location that included a jail, hotel and saloon, had burned to the ground.
The ranch served as a location for productions ranging from 1938′s The Adventures of Marco Polo to TV shows The Mentalist and Weeds. The set in the mountains west of Los Angeles dates to 1927 when Paramount Pictures leased the ranch and began making films there.
Western Town specifically was built for TV productions in the 1950s and was used for such westerns as The Cisco Kid and Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theatre.
Filming continued for decades even as the ranch changed hands. It was acquired by the National Park Service in 1980 but has continued to function as a filming location, serving as a location for the first two seasons of the sci-fi series “Westworld.” HBO said it did not know the extent of the damage and expressed concern for “all those affected by these horrible fires.”
