Actor who narrowly escapes LA wildfire defending $2M Malibu home nearly had to jump in ocean
White Apache actor Sebastian Harrison opened up about his terrifying escape from his Malibu home amid the raging Los Angeles wildfires, revealing he was ready to ‘jump in the ocean’ if push came to shove.
The 59-year-old action movie star first shared his harrowing ordeal on Instagram on Thursday, as flames engulfed the three-acre, $2.4 million oceanfront ‘sanctuary’ he shared with his wife Livia Pillmann and his 89-year-old father .
On Friday, he told CNN about his desperate escape, explaining that his original plan was to stay behind and fight the fire.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had this happen a few times and seen friends and family stay behind and put out the fires, so that was my original intention, but you have to have a plan B,” he said.
The actor, who starred in Viet Cong in Fireback (1983), continued: ‘So when I saw the fire trucks leaving quickly, I thought, “Oh, that’s not a good sign.”
At that point he tried to start his car but failed. “I got out again and saw a whole hurricane of embers coming towards me, and I thought I was doomed.”
Sebastian Harrison opened up about his terrifying escape from his Malibu home amid the raging Los Angeles wildfires, revealing he was prepared to ‘jump in the ocean’ if push came to shove.
The 59-year-old action movie star first shared his harrowing ordeal on Instagram on Thursday, as flames engulfed the three-acre, $2.4 million oceanfront ‘sanctuary’ he shared with his wife Livia Pillmann and his 89-year-old father .
‘I had to dive behind these rocks. I am ready to jump into the ocean if necessary,” he recalled.
Fortunately, firefighters arrived moments later and helped him find safety.
But tragically, his house, which he bought in 2010, was reduced to ashes.
The property was once the location of The Malibu Lodge, a restaurant that operated in the 1940s and early 1950s and, according to Harrison, was frequented by Hollywood stars such as Gone with the Wind producer David Selznick.
The estate offers unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean and is located on a plot of land with no adjacent houses on the ocean side.
The couple expressed their devastation over the loss of their beloved home.
“We put so much time and effort and love into building a sanctuary in our home, you know, and it’s really devastating to see that burning face in front of my husband’s eyes,” Livia shared. The Telegraph.
“It’s heartbreaking to see all this work and love for the work, you know, that we put in place, and our safe haven is gone,” she added.
On Friday, he told CNN about his desperate escape, explaining that his original plan was to stay behind and fight the fire.
‘I had to dive behind these rocks. I am ready to jump into the ocean if necessary,” he recalled
Fortunately, firefighters arrived moments later and helped him find safety
As the fires continue to rage, the couple and many others are dealing with the heartbreaking loss of their homes in one of the hardest hit areas of Los Angeles.
Star of the General Hospital Cameron Mathison burst into tears as he said he was returning to the ruins of his home in California.
‘I can’t sleep. I’ve lost everything I own. “I have a hoodie that I wear, a pair of pants and two pairs of sneakers, that’s it,” he explained to GMA on Thursday. “But it is obviously important to focus on what we have and what we can be grateful for.”
Mathison and his now estranged wife Vanessa Arevalo had lived in the Pasadena home since 2012, along with their children Lelia, 18, and Lucas, 21.
Unfortunately, Mathison isn’t the only one dealing with the devastation.
Actor Adam Brody and Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester’s home in the Pacific Palisades also fell victim to the catastrophic wildfires.
On Wednesday, shocking photos showed the once beautiful property, located in the chic celebrity enclave, reduced to a smoking ruin.
The couple had just been seen in public at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, less than two days before the fires started.
The property was once the site of The Malibu Lodge, a restaurant that operated in the 1940s and early 1950s and was frequented by Hollywood stars like Gone with the Wind producer David Selznick, according to Harrison.
They bought their home in 2019 for $6.5 million. The house had five bedrooms, six bathrooms and three floors spread over 6,000 square feet.
Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, Paris Hilton, James Woods, Billy Crystal and his wife Janice all claimed to have seen their homes go up in smoke during the Palisades Fire.
Ben Affleck got an unwelcome surprise Tuesday when he arrived home to find part of LA’s west side engulfed by a massive wildfire.
His Pacific Palisades neighborhood is home to a slew of stars, including Tom Hanks, Miles Teller, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler and Jhene Aiko.
Sadly, at least five people died in the disaster, which left 2,000 buildings destroyed and many more in ruins, reduced to nothing but ash.