OMEN
11-26-2007, 08:28 PM
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TOO HOT: Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea has lost his home to a fierce Malibu fire.
Celebrities including Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and former sitcom star Suzanne Somers have lost their homes to a fierce wildfire in the exclusive beachside community of Malibu.
Firefighters have gained the upper hand against the fire, but were too late to save 49 homes destroyed in the blaze. Residents were today allowed to return and assess the damage.
The fire, which officials said was the worst to strike Malibu in 15 years, was the second there in just over a month.
It had lost much of its power with dying Santa Ana winds and was 40 per cent contained by Sunday afternoon.
The flames no longer threatened homes in the enclave hugging the Pacific Ocean and some firefighters and air support personnel were sent home, though officials said it was too early to declare victory.
"I could say we're in the clear, but anything could happen, said Los Angeles County Fire Captain Mike Brown.
The blaze erupted early on Saturday, charred 4720 acres and forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate the community, popular with many of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Mel Gibson, Pierce Brosnan, Pamela Anderson, Barbra Streisand, Ted Danson, David Geffen, and Courteney Cox-Arquette also live in the area.
Investigators believe the fire was started by people and called its origins suspicious.
As of Sunday morning, 51 structures had been destroyed including the 49 homes, many of them multimillion-dollar, ranch-style mansions in the canyons of central Malibu. Among them was the home belonging to Flea, who confirmed his home had been "burnt to a crisp".
Many evacuees were allowed to return on Sunday, some finding their property untouched by the flames and others discovering nothing but charred rubble.
Somers told Access Hollywood: "My nature is to look at the glass half-full. I don't have a son or daughter in Iraq. I haven't lost a loved one. We will rebuild, and I truly believe we will learn something great from this experience."
Reuters
TOO HOT: Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea has lost his home to a fierce Malibu fire.
Celebrities including Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and former sitcom star Suzanne Somers have lost their homes to a fierce wildfire in the exclusive beachside community of Malibu.
Firefighters have gained the upper hand against the fire, but were too late to save 49 homes destroyed in the blaze. Residents were today allowed to return and assess the damage.
The fire, which officials said was the worst to strike Malibu in 15 years, was the second there in just over a month.
It had lost much of its power with dying Santa Ana winds and was 40 per cent contained by Sunday afternoon.
The flames no longer threatened homes in the enclave hugging the Pacific Ocean and some firefighters and air support personnel were sent home, though officials said it was too early to declare victory.
"I could say we're in the clear, but anything could happen, said Los Angeles County Fire Captain Mike Brown.
The blaze erupted early on Saturday, charred 4720 acres and forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate the community, popular with many of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Mel Gibson, Pierce Brosnan, Pamela Anderson, Barbra Streisand, Ted Danson, David Geffen, and Courteney Cox-Arquette also live in the area.
Investigators believe the fire was started by people and called its origins suspicious.
As of Sunday morning, 51 structures had been destroyed including the 49 homes, many of them multimillion-dollar, ranch-style mansions in the canyons of central Malibu. Among them was the home belonging to Flea, who confirmed his home had been "burnt to a crisp".
Many evacuees were allowed to return on Sunday, some finding their property untouched by the flames and others discovering nothing but charred rubble.
Somers told Access Hollywood: "My nature is to look at the glass half-full. I don't have a son or daughter in Iraq. I haven't lost a loved one. We will rebuild, and I truly believe we will learn something great from this experience."
Reuters