Entertainment

Will Smith flees home as wildfires rage in California

Other celebrities have been forced to leave their homes and fear for their property.
Other celebrities have been forced to leave their homes and fear for their property.

Will Smith has said he is fleeing his home in Calabasas amid the California wildfires.

The Hollywood star has been sharing updates about the blaze, which has prompted celebrities including Kim Kardashian West and Caitlyn Jenner to evacuate their properties.

In a post on his Instagram stories, Smith said: “The smoke is really close now and for the first time I can see fire.

Will Smith confirmed he was leaving his home (Instagram)

“Our house is right there. We are not in the evacuation zone but I don’t like it so we are going to go.”

He has previously said his daughter Willow, 18, was feeling frightened by the proximity of the fire.

Smith showed how close the blaze is (Instagram)

Jenner has marked herself as safe amid the fires, but revealed the fate of her home is “up in the air”.

It was reported Jenner’s Malibu home had been destroyed. The TV personality, 69, shared a video to Instagram to tell fans she was safe, but still does not know what has happened to her house.

Sitting alongside her friend Sophia Hutchins, she said: “Well, we’re safe, at a safehouse. Don’t know if the house made it or not. It’s still up in the air. But we’re safe and sound.”

Hutchins, 22, added: “We’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

Kardashian West earlier revealed the flames had stopped near her home in the Hidden Hills, north west of Los Angeles.

She has since shared a picture of herself kissing her seven-month-old niece True, the daughter of Khloe Kardashian.

The picture was captioned: “Trying to get my mind off of this fire and snuggling with my niece. We are all safe and that’s all that matters.”

Actor Charlie Sheen raise the alarm when he said he had been unable to contact his Hollywood star father Martin Sheen and mother Janet.

He wrote on Twitter: “i cannot get ahold of my parents, Martin and Janet Sheen. they are in the group, at the staging ground near Zuma Beach.

“if anyone has eyes on them, please let me know that they are safe and sound in the middle of this horrific scenario.”

The West Wing star later confirmed to Fox11 Los Angeles news that he and his family were “just fine”, adding: “Emilio, Ramone, Renee, Charlie, we’re fine.

“We’re at Zuma Beach. We’re probably going to sleep in the car tonight. We’re just fine and hope you guys are, too.”

Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife Denise Richards said she was also evacuating the area with her “furry children” and that her daughters had already been taken to safety.

She wrote on Instagram: “We love our community #malibu so devastating… taking us hours to evacuate. Girls are safe. @aaronwilliamcameron & I trying to get out with our furry children.

“Be safe everyone… so emotional seeing the devastating loss of homes, families & animals.”

Oscar winning director Guillermo Del Toro also confirmed he had been evacuated and feared for his home and his extensive movie memorabilia collection.

He wrote on Twitter: “Evacuated last night. Bleak House and the collection may be endangered but the gift of life remains. Thousand Oaks and Agoura are still in danger. Malibu is being evacuated.”

Actress Alyssa Milano told fans that her home is in danger of being engulfed by flames, but that her horses and children are safe.

Milano had tweeted her followers to ask for help to move her five horses out of the blaze.

In an update, she wrote: “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.”

Condemning people who had earlier criticised her for caring about the welfare of her animals, the Charmed star added: “To those who insisted on still being hurtful because our political affiliation is different, you are what is wrong with the country.”

Former EastEnders star Patsy Palmer now lives near Los Angeles and was also forced to leave her home.

Alongside a picture of a smoke-filled sky, the actress, who played Bianca Jackson on the soap, wrote: “Praying for everyone that lost there homes today. We made it out safe. Mother Nature … wow praying for everyone in Malibu & Thousand Oaks.”

Star Wars star Mark Hamill thanked fans for their concern amid the fire.

Confirming that he and members of his family were safe, he added: “Although the (fires) are dangerously close to our home – @MarilouHamill – @NathanHamill – @GriffinHamill – @chelseahamill- Millie – Mabel & I are all safe at the moment & rooting for our #FearlessFirefighters in their battle vs #MeanMotherNature.”

One Direction star Niall Horan urged people to leave the area, writing in a tweet: “If you live in Thousand Oaks/Malibu area, please evacuate.

“The fires are at 0% containment and are getting more wild as the minutes pass.”

Lady Gaga revealed her concerns for her property and hailed the firefighters and emergency services as “true heroes”.

She tweeted: “I am thinking so deeply for everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones.

“I’m sitting here with many of you wondering if my home will burst into flames. All we can do is pray together & for each other. God Bless You.”

She did not say if she was at the property in question.

A blaze broke out in the Hill Canyon area in the south of the state on Thursday and spread quickly, jumping a major highway and scorching up to 7,000 acres of land, the Ventura County Fire Department said.

The so-called Woolsey Fire grew overnight and the entire city of Malibu, which has 13,000 residents, has been told to evacuate.

Kardashian West was among the first wave of celebrities to leave the area, posting a video from an aircraft window to her Instagram story on Thursday night, showing fires below.

Her sister Khloe had tweeted to say she could not sleep, adding: “I am too nervous with these fires.”

Actor Rainn Wilson, known for starring in the US version of The Office, shared a picture on Twitter of a plume of smoke in the distance, beyond some hills.

He wrote: “My house is in that. #WoolseyFire.”

Disney chief executive Robert Iger posted a picture on Twitter of the view from his office – a large orange cloud of smoke beyond a Walt Disney tower.

“Hope everyone is being very careful this morning,” he tweeted.

According to reports, the wildfire is also thought to have destroyed the TV and movie production location known as Western Town at the Paramount Ranch.

The location was used for productions including 1938’s The Adventures Of Marco Polo and TV’s Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, and has more recently been used for hit drama series Westworld.

Fires have also devastated an area in northern California, killing five people in the town of Paradise, near San Francisco.