Los Angeles is being scorched at the moment thanks to some fairly unprecedented wildfires that are currently overrunning some of the wealthier, more-celebrity filled areas of the city, forcing mass evacuations. Thus far, a string of fires in southern California has burned through a significant amount of land. But it’s the smaller (comparatively) of the blazes that’s currently torching its way through the exclusive Bel-Air region, threatening scores of celebrity homes including that of News Corp boss and noted climate change denier, Rupert Murdoch.
Murdoch’s 16-acre Morgana Vineyards estate in the ritzy region is reportedly under extreme threat from the blaze. Local NBC news coverage had previously reported that Murdoch’s house was on fire, but that status has since been downgraded to “still standing” for the time being.
Murdoch purchased the opulent home – built in 1939 during Hollywood’s golden age – in 2013 for the princely sum of US$30million.
Footage from the fires is intensely hectic, with commuters snapping footage of flames licking the hills that line Los Angeles’ ubiquitous freeways.
Not the typical morning commute… pic.twitter.com/kJIOQeqsIK
— Andrew Mutz CMT (@WLV_investor) December 6, 2017
#405 at Mulholland is on fire. #belair #westwood #mulholland #sepulveda pass pic.twitter.com/W1YqGxxxv6
— Bethany Ellis (@bethanyel) December 6, 2017
Noted people including the likes of Chrissy Teigan and Chelsea Handler have been evacuated from their homes, as the mandatory evacuation zone expands into up-market regions of the LA hills.
Just evacuated my house. It’s like Donald Trump is setting the world on fire. Literally and figuratively. Stay safe everyone. Dark times.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) December 6, 2017
never thought I’d get to actually play what I thought was a hypothetical game of what would you grab if there were a fire. so far all I have is Luna, some limited edition Oreos and my spike tv award
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 6, 2017
we are fine and we will be fine. thinking of everyone else affected and continuing my lifelong intense love of firefighters.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 6, 2017
As for Murdoch’s house, given that it’s a property owned by a man who once tweeted this…
Just flying over N Atlantic 300 miles of ice. Global warming! pic.twitter.com/loXwe7lwtK
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) February 27, 2015
…people are having some mixed feelings.
Realistically, it’s about best summed up by this.
When you want the #SkirballFire to end but then find out it’s gonna burn down Rupert Murdoch’s house: pic.twitter.com/y2OIkNjBdT
— Tuxedo Mask (@TheLoveBel0w) December 6, 2017
Like… it’s an awful fire and loss of property is universally devastating no matter the circumstances.
But still.
