Britney Spears forced to evacuate home and 'drive 4 hours to a hotel' amid raging Los Angeles wildfires
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA: Britney Spears is the latest among the growing list of celebrities who have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the wildfires blazing across parts of Los Angeles.
The pop icon let her followers know about the situation on Instagram on Thursday, January 9, sharing her thoughts and prayers with her fellow Angelenos, as per People.
Britney Spears evacuated her home after being without electricity for two days
"I had to evacuate my home and I’m driving 4 hours to a hotel," the 'Toxic' singer revealed in her post.
Alongside a video of tiny doll shoes, Spears explained she wanted to "lift people’s spirits" during these harrowing times.
"Most people may not even be on their phones. I wasn’t the past two days because I had no electricity to charge and I just got my phone back!!! I pray you’re all doing well and I send my love 🌹!!!" she added.
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Los Angeles has been gripped by wildfires since Tuesday, with the Pacific Palisades being one of the hardest-hit areas.
As of Friday, the fires have consumed over 35,000 acres, destroyed over 12,000 structures, and claimed five lives, according to CalFire.
Severe winds and dry vegetation, worsened by ongoing drought and high temperatures, continue to fuel the flames.
"It is already January, but Southern California remains dry, gripped by drought and high temperatures," Jacob Bendix, professor emeritus at Syracuse University, said in a statement, as previously reported by People.
"Both drought and heat are known to be more likely in the context of human-caused climate change, so the fires burning now cannot be dismissed as anomalous events," he noted.
Bendix added, "We must recognize that such fires are likely to become more common in the future. The news stories each time will fade after a few days or weeks, but the impacts in terms of lost homes and workplaces will last far longer for local residents, and virtually everyone in the region is likely to face escalating insurance costs, or difficulty obtaining insurance at all."
Ricki Lake and other Hollywood stars open up about their losses
Britney Spears isn’t alone in her ordeal. Other notable figures have also faced the fires’ wrath, with some losing their homes entirely.
Ricki Lake, who lost her "dream home," took to Instagram on Thursday to express her heartbreak.
"This loss is immeasurable. It’s the spot where we got married 3 years ago. I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event. Praying for all of my neighbors, my friends, my community, the animals, the firefighters, and first responders," she wrote.
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During her appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on Wednesday, Jamie Lee Curtis teared up as she shared that her friends’ homes, schools, and local markets had been destroyed.
"It’s a really awful situation," Curtis said, urging others to help. "Do anything you can. Whether you need it or not now, you will need it. Give blood, donate, whatever you can do."
