The 90-year-old mother of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is one of the thousands of people who have lost their homes to the flames from the uncontrolled wildfires raging through the Los Angeles area since Tuesday afternoon
“My mom is in good hands, but her house is gone,” Kerr lamented Thursday night before the Warriors’ game against the Detroit Pistons. “I’ve been talking on the phone a lot with my brothers.”
Historic Hollywood mansion lost to LA wildfires
Kerr added that his mother, Ann, left her home in Pacific Palisades immediately after learning of the evacuation orders earlier in the week.
The tragedy in the residential areas of Los Angeles
“It’s my hometown,” Kerr said. “All my friends who are from there pretty much lost their homes, their family homes, their childhood homes. Our high school is gone.”
The city appears to have been completely razed. It’s surreal and devastating
He added: “Fortunately, almost everyone managed to escape, but it’s hard to even imagine how Pacific Palisades will rebuild and become a thriving community again. It’s just shocking”.Pacific Palisades borders Malibu about 20 miles west of Los Angeles. It includes hillside streets with tightly packed homes along winding roads nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and stretches to the beaches along the Pacific Ocean, so they have been easy prey for the flames.
The fast-spreading flames are destroying homes and businesses as nearly 180,000 residents have had to move away from the smoke-filled canyons in picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities.
Many of the huge fires began on Tuesday and burned out of control until Thursday, fueled by the powerful Santa Ana winds.
At least five people have died and thousands of structures have been damaged or destroyed by the flames.
