James Woods broke down during a CNN interview as he described evacuating his home in the Pacific Palisades amid the Los Angeles wildfires.
The actor, 77, became emotional as he told how his wife’s niece offered help after their home was destroyed by the fires that have decimated at least a thousand buildings and left two dead.
Woods said his wife’s 8-year-old niece “came out with her piggy bank to rebuild our house.”
“I’m sorry, one day you’re in the pool and the next day it’s all gone,” Woods added as he broke down in tears.
The Oscar winner continued: “I’m sorry, I thought I was stronger than this…”
Woods had previously shared a video of the view from his destroyed home, writing on X: “I took this last night from our beautiful little house in the Palisades.
‘Now all fire alarms go off remotely at once. It tests your soul and you lose everything at once, I must say.”
Actor James Woods, 77, broke down in tears as he described how he had to evacuate his Los Angeles home
As wildfires continue to devastate California’s Pacific Palisades, many celebrities have been forced to flee their luxury homes as authorities warned of an “imminent threat to their lives.”
Evacuation notices were initially posted along the prosperous coastal region, with a chilling warning from the California Department of Forest and Fire Protection of an “imminent threat to life.”
The apocalyptic inferno has torn through the upscale neighborhood, home to many A-list celebrities, including Ben Affleck, Jhene Aiko, Tom Hanks and Miles Teller, among others.
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, 41, and his wife Heidi Montage, 38, lost their home in Pacific Palisades as a result of the raging wildfire.
Three major fires raged in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famous Rose Parade.
With thousands of firefighters already attacking the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help, and weather conditions were too windy to fly firefighting planes, further hampering the fight. The fire brigade hoped to get the flights going again later on Wednesday.
In addition to the two deaths, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said many others were injured in the fires, which threatened at least 28,000 buildings.
The remains of a house burned to the ground as a result of the Palisades wildfire in Pacific Palisades
A church steeple burns as a result of the Palisades wildfire in Pacific Palisades
“This morning we woke up to a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles. But it is darkest for those most affected by these fires. It has been an extremely painful 24 hours,” LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.
At least 70,000 people were ordered to evacuate — a number that continued to change as evacuation orders continued to be issued, officials said. The flames marched toward densely populated and affluent neighborhoods where California’s rich and famous lived. Hollywood stars including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods were among those forced to flee.
Images of the destruction showed luxury homes collapsed in a whirlwind of flaming embers. The tops of palm trees waved against a glowing red sky.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ home was included in an evacuation zone, although no one was there, according to a spokesperson.
More than 100 schools were closed due to fire danger. The flames also cut power to more than 180,000 people, mostly in Los Angeles County, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us. Southern California Edison has shut down part of its service due to safety concerns related to high winds and fire risks. More than 500,000 could experience shutoffs depending on weather conditions, the utility said.
Recent dry winds, including those from the infamous Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has seen very little rain so far this season. Southern California has not seen more than 0.2 inches of rain since early May.