Malibu Wildfire Forces Multiple Celebrities to Flee

Celebrities have been forced to flee their Malibu homes because of the Franklin Fire, which has been raging for days.

The fire ignited on Monday night after days of extremely dangerous conditions when Santa Ana winds whipped across the region. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place east of Malibu Canyon Road, south of Piuma Road and in the Serra Retreat area.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department previously told Newsweek that in the 12 hours since it ignited, the fire exploded to 2,200 acres. As of Wednesday morning, it has grown to more than 3,000 acres.

As many celebrities live in Malibu, their homes are at risk. Those who have been forced to evacuate include Dick Van Dyke and Cher. At the time of writing, it is unclear how many other stars who call Malibu home—including Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Jay-Z—have also had to flee.

Newsweek contacted spokespeople for Van Dyke, Cher, Streisand, Roberts, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé for comment by email on Tuesday outside normal business hours.

Van Dyke, whose 99th birthday is on Friday, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, had evacuated their home while the Franklin Fire raged on. He added that one of their cats was missing.

“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving. We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires,” he wrote.

In a brief phone call with The New York Times, Liz Rosenberg, Cher’s publicist, confirmed that the singer and her pets had moved to a hotel on Monday night.

A spokesperson for Streisand said they were waiting to ascertain the star’s whereabouts. She resides in Malibu with her husband, fellow actor James Brolin. Their home is a 10,000-square-foot compound comprising four buildings on 3 acres of property.

English actor Jane Seymour took to Instagram on Tuesday to say she had evacuated her home in the fire-ravaged area.

“The fires in our community are a stark reminder of how quickly life can change. Thankfully, my family and I were able to evacuate safely, but my thoughts are with everyone who is still in harm’s way, the brave firefighters risking everything to protect us, and the many who call Malibu home,” she wrote alongside photos of the encroaching fire.

“Let’s continue to support each other, stay informed, and remain hopeful. Our community is strong, and together we’ll see through these challenging times,” Seymour added. Newsweek contacted a spokesperson for Seymour for comment via email.

Married couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z purchased their almost $200 million Malibu mansion in 2023, the most expensive home in California history, Architectural Digest reported. Their home is in Paradise Cove, which is in the Franklin Fire evacuation warning area. They live there with their three children: Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir.

Lady Gaga also lives in an evacuation zone, in a home in Zuma Beach. The Grammy-winning musician purchased the property, which is more than 10,000 square feet, in 2014 and has resided there since.

According to Architectural Digest, Roberts owns a home in Malibu’s Point Dume neighborhood, west of the raging flames. The Pretty Woman star has lived in the city since 2003.

The outlet also reported that 21 Jump Street actor Jonah Hill bought a home in the Malibu Colony enclave in 2022. The neighborhood is included in the mandatory evacuation orders prompted by the Franklin Fire.

Newsweek contacted a spokesperson for Hill for comment via email.

While the worst of the winds may have passed, a risk of the fire spreading continues.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service said on X, formerly Twitter, “Another day of fire weather concerns in store for southern California tomorrow.”