The ongoing California fires are not the first of their kind in the area, as actress Ali MacGraw had to leave everything behind after losing her home to the Malibu fires in 1993. While sharing her experience, the 85-year-old advised those who have been affected by the recent wildfires, which have reportedly razed more than 40,000 acres.
Ali always dreamed of living near the Pacific Ocean and rented her apartments in Malibu throughout the ’70s. However, her dream crashed after the tragic disaster. The inferno burned down about 18,000 acres within Malibu in ten days.
Ali MacGraw could only save her yoga outfit after the fire
Ali recalled how she had a sleazy yoga outfit on when the fires hit her home, burning it and everything else she owned to the ground. The house was newly rented right before she traveled to Thailand for a job. She had meticulously arranged her belongings before the trip and even got rid of stuff that did not fit.
Ali told The Hollywood Reporter that the only thing she recalled seeing was a funny-looking property overlooking the ocean with metal outdoor furniture. To Ali, it felt like a post-apocalyptic scene from a movie as the sky was covered in smoke.
Where does Ali MacGraw live now?
It has been more than three decades since Ali lost her rental property to the Malibu wildfires, and she now lives in Santa Fe, Mexico. She admitted that she never cried or moved on from the devastating disaster, which cannot be compared to the worst and ongoing Los Angeles fires.
Ali advised people to move with more empathy at this time, encouraging homeowners to let people live for up to a year with less rent in their empty rooms or houses. She recalled how a man saw her crying back then and helped her get a place to live in her current area.