American actress Zooey Deschanel is mourning the loss of her childhood house, which was occupied by her parents before it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire that is still raging in Los Angeles County.
Described as “a marvel of 1920s Spanish revival architecture,” “full of too many incredible memories to count,” and “one of the oldest homes in the Palisades and so spectacularly beautiful,” the “Elf” star shared the home on social media.
“Although it wasn’t a mansion, I found it to be warm, charming, unique, and ideal.”
Along with family photos featuring her sister, fellow actress Emily Deschanel, she shared a portfolio of images that included an arresting before-and-after of the property’s front.
From Christmas feasts to baby showers, Deschanel continued to list some of the “best moments” she had there, saying that “all have vanished into thin air.”
While acknowledging that she and her family “are not alone,” the actress also stated that “the streets of my childhood in Pacific Palisades have been all but erased as we knew them, “along with those impacted by the other wildfires in the region, such as the Eaton Fire that centred on Altadena. So many people have suffered great losses.”
From firefighters to friends, she then thanked everyone who had “shown up for us and our community and Los Angeles in general.”
“You have made us meals, texted and called, come visit, sent clothes to my parents, who left us with nothing, diverted us with jokes, and shared our tears when we needed them.” The salve that has made this bearable is your generosity.
“To the strangers who have cheered us up with thoughtful actions: you embody what community is all about. We appreciate you all sharing your goodness with us. “You don’t know how much it means to us,” Deschanel said in closing.
The ‘New Girl’ star is the latest in a long line of famous people and LA locals, including Joshua Jackson and Milo Ventimiglia, to lose their homes in the still-raging flames.
Firefighters are still battling the catastrophic Los Angeles fires, which have killed 27 people so far, and thousands more people are still under evacuation orders. It is hoped that fire crews will continue to advance this weekend in anticipation of another set of winds that will fuel fires the following week.
Hazardous material removal will take at least another week, delaying the return of evacuated residents eager to inspect the devastation in the destroyed neighbourhoods. For some, it will probably be months before they return home. There are still significant hazards of landslides and contaminated water.
