The ferocious fires ripping their way through Southern California has prompted another wave of celebrity evacuations. In my previous blogs I told you that stars such as Sean Penn and Suzanne Somers were just a few of the Malibu residents forced to flee their million-dollar mansions since Sunday. Now it seems half of Hollywood is following in their lead.
Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott’s newly renovated bed and breakfast, Chateau La Rue, in Fallbrook, California, about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles was evacuated yesterday. The B&B is the setting for the couple’s reality TV show, Tori & Dean: Inn Love, on the Oxygen network. According to Spelling, guests holding reservations were told not to show because the structure is in the path of the wind whipped wildfires.
Fortunately Spelling’s own home is not in the direct path of the flames, which is not the case for Kelsey Grammer. The actor told E! Online he and his wife were forced to pack up their young children and pets late last night and evacuate to a safer area.
Also forced to flee from their Malibu mansions were Mel Gibson and Victoria Principal. The actress told news reporters she only had time to grab her pets and some family photo albums before fire crews sent her away.
The wildfires also halted several dozen Hollywood productions, including shoots for the hit TV show “24.” According to the Hollywood Reporter, a scene with Kiefer Sutherland that was supposed to be filmed in Orange County was canceled Monday because smoke from nearby blazes caused health concerns for production crews. Likewise, the TV show “Big Shots” canceled a cycling sequence that was scheduled to be shot in Malibu.
On a brighter note, the horrific scene in Southern California has prompted some stars to really shine. Despite having to find temporary housing for herself and her pets, actress Victoria Principal took time to donate $50,000 to the Malibu evacuation center for food and blankets and another $10,000 to the animal shelter rescuing stray pets. Also, lending a hand to those in need… staff at Jennifer Aniston’s favorite Japanese restaurant Nobu in Malibu. According to TMZ.com, managers at the famous eatery closed the restaurant to the public on Sunday, but continue to use the facility to serve meals to firefighters.