Film actor and director Mel Gibson said Thursday that his Malibu home has been destroyed by the wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area, calling the experience “devastating.”
“It’s emotional,” Gibson told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” in an interview. “I had my stuff there. I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff because it’s all in cinders.”
Gibson also noted that he was in Austin, Texas, appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast when he learned the fire had broken out. He says that while speaking with Rogan, he was “ill at ease” because he’d heard his neighborhood was in flames.
“I thought, ‘Eh, I wonder if my place is still there,'” he said. “When I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there.”
Gibson added that he was surprised by the intensity of the damage and by what seemed to be the randomness of which houses were destroyed in his neighborhood.
“(The area) was completely toasted. I’ve never seen such a complete burn,” Gibson told Vargas, saying he isn’t sure if he’ll rebuild there but that he was grateful for the generosity of those living nearby and the fact his family was safe.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles wildfires have burned nearly 29,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures and forced almost 180,000 people to evacuate their homes. At least 10 have also died as a result of the blazes.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been under pressure in recent days as multiple wildfires tear through the Golden State. Much of the scrutiny is centered on regulations in the state that limit how much water can be used from the nearby delta, as hydrants are running out of water and the fires remain largely uncontained.
Gibson and Rogan, paired with comments from President-elect Trump, have also criticized the governor over the issue during the recent episode.
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