Stars flee homes as fires rage

THOUSANDS of homes were at risk from wildfires raging through tinder-dry Californian countryside yesterday.

Among celebrities reported as having to flee in the Malibu area were film director James Cameron and actress Olivia Newton-John.

Many other stars have homes there including Mel Gibson, Barbara Streisand, Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan and David Geffen.

Firefighters admitted last night that the fires had overwhelmed them.

In Malibu, about 700 firefighters worked to protect hundreds of homes in several upscale communities nestled in the hills. About 1,500 people were evacuated and the blaze destroyed a church and several homes, one of them the landmark Castle Kashan, a stately fortress-like home.

The castle belonged to Lilly Lawrence, the daughter of a former Iranian oil minister. She said she was able to gather a few things before the fire engulfed her home, including some jewellery and memorabilia that included Elvis Presley’s Army fatigues.

She didn’t seem too worried about losing most of her belongings in the fire.

“My parents taught me not to allow my possessions to posses me,” Ms Lawrence told KABC-TV. “So, that’s the story. The house is a house.”