Mary Poppins star Dick van Dyke was "safely evacuated" from his home after wildfire stretched through Malibu, with other famous faces also having to leave their abodes
Dick van Dyke was forced to flee his home due to devastating wildfires in California.
The Hollywood legend, 98, was "safely evacuated" from his home in Malibu after the blazes spread quickly, destroying huge amounts of nature in its path. The speed of the fires was helped by winds that barrelled down the mountains surrounding the celebrity getaway, acting like a blowtorch.
Nicknamed the Franklin Fire by authorities in America, the fire first started back on Monday (December 9) and soon spread thanks to the natural hilly landscape. The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, said that the fire was now "forcing an evacuation of most of Malibu" to ensure as few casualties as possible.
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Investigations remain underway as to what caused the initial fire and how it could spread at lightning speed. However, authorities said that 2,700 acres of land had been scorched as a result of the inferno.
Due to the high winds and fast-spreading nature of the wildfires, a number of celebrities have been forced to pack up and leave their homes temporarily for their safety. This includes Dick van Dyke, who is best known for his roles in movie classics such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Together with wife Arlene Silver, Dick confirmed via his social media that he had been able to escape the fires and was now waiting for the blazes to calm down before returning. "Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo [who] escaped as we were leaving," he wrote on his Facebook page.
"We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires," the actor said. It comes as Dick is preparing to celebrate his 99th birthday on Friday (December 13).
To celebrate reaching the milestone birthday, a slimmed down version of Coldplay's music video for their track All My Love will be released. The video stars the legend of stage and screen, and was filmed inside his Malibu home earlier this year.
Dick van Dyke has had an illustrious career spanned over seven decades, and scooping him a number of huge gongs, including four Emmys. He also has bagged a Tony for his performance in Bye Bye Birdie and a Grammy for the Mary Poppins soundtrack, leaving him just one award away from an EGOT.
Other stars have also been hit as a result of the fires, with actress Jane Seymour confirming she also had to flee her home. Singer Cher has also moved from her home in the area, according to the New York Times.
Sharing snaps of the horrifying blazes taking hold in the area, Jane said she was "thankful" that she could flee the area so quickly. "My thoughts are with everyone who is still in harm’s way, the brave firefighters risking everything to protect us, and the many who call Malibu home," she penned.
"Let’s continue to support each other, stay informed, and remain hopeful," she added. "Our community is strong, and together we’ll see through these challenging times."
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