This morning, Mel Gibson said that the Los Angeles wildfires destroyed his home while he was away recording Joe Rogan’s podcast.
The actor who won an Oscar said that his home in Malibu was “completely toasted,” and he criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for the situation.
Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes because of the wildfires, which have destroyed thousands of buildings and killed at least 10 people.
A lot of famous people have said they lost their homes, and officials have warned that more strong winds could make the fires spread even faster.
Gibson said that the fact that he knew his neighborhood was “on fire” made him feel “ill at ease” while he was in Austin, Texas, as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience.
Gibson told Elizabeth Vargas Reports on NewsNation, “It’s kind of devastating and it makes me feel bad.”
“I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff because it’s all in cinders.”
The Braveheart star said he had lived in his house for about 15 years and that some of his neighbors’ houses had also “gone,” including Ed Harris’s.
Gibson said that his family had left because they were told to, and they were safe.
Gibson said that California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said he would “take care of the forests” but “didn’t do anything” in the podcast with Rogan.
“I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin’s hair gel,” he said.
The wildfires in Los Angeles are the worst in the city’s history. They have burned 31,000 acres (12,500 hectares) of land and forced 180,000 people to leave their homes.
Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst, and Lidia are still in the middle of five wildfires.
David Acuna, the fire chief of California, told Radio 4’s Today show that 10,000 buildings are likely to have been destroyed. Plus, he said that winds in the next few days could do even more damage to the area.
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has told Newsom, a Democrat, that “one of the best and most beautiful” parts of the US is “burning down to the ground” and wants him to step down because of how he is handling the crisis.
In defense of the response, Newsom said that state officials were “throwing everything at our disposal” to keep communities safe.
A spokeswoman for the governor said Trump was making the disaster about politics and that Newsom was focused on keeping people safe and giving firefighters the tools they need.
After what he called “the most widespread and devastating fire” in California’s history, US President Joe Biden said the federal government would do more to help.
