Stars flee wall of flame
STARS have been forced to flee their mansions by a wildfire devastating a millionaires’ haven in California.
At least 100 houses have been destroyed and several people injured in the blaze around the hideaway of Montecito where John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Douglas all have homes.
About 14,000 residents and 5,400 homes had already been evacuated before celebrities were yesterday told to keep their distance as flames engulfed four square miles of hillside.
Onlookers described the inferno descending from the mountains on hot desert air as resembling lava coming down a volcano.
“I saw flames shooting up about 100ft in the air with the wind just howling,” said Scott Craig, spokesman for a college whose students had to flee.
“When you’ve got palm trees and eucalyptus trees literally exploding with their hot oil, you get big, red hot embers flying through the sky catching anything on fire.”
I saw flames shooting up about 100ft in the air
John Cleese’s mansion, which sits on a private cove with spectacular views of the Pacific, is near the path of the blaze.
It has been up for sale for around £7million since his latest marriage collapsed.
