Beloved actor Dick Van Dyke evacuated his Malibu home with his wife Arlene Silver on Tuesday as flames from the Franklin Fire continued to rage, though one of the Mary Poppins star's cats escaped during the evacuation.
The Franklin Fire ignited Monday night after days of extremely dangerous fire conditions when Santa Ana winds whipped across the region. The flames have since spread to nearly 4,000 acres, according to a recent update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Mandatory evacuation orders are in place across much of Malibu, including Van Dyke's $8 million home in Serra Retreat, Hello! reported.
The Tony Award winner took to Facebook to express his concern for Bobo, an orange tabby cat, that unfortunately escaped during the evacuation.
"Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving," Van Dyke posted. "We're praying he'll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires."
In a follow-up post, Van Dyke shared a video of the cat.
"Hoping Bobo is ok," he wrote.
Newsweek reached out to a representative for Van Dyke by email for comment.
The posts prompted an outpouring of support from Van Dyke's fans. One comment reassured the Tony award winner that animals had impressive survival instincts, while others expressed their hope that the cat was found safely.
Van Dyke wasn't the only celebrity who fled the flames. A publicist for Cher confirmed to the New York Times that the Grammy award-winning singer and her animals also had left the area and were staying at a hotel on Monday.
At the time of writing, it is unclear how many other stars who call Malibu home—including Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Jay-Z—have also had to flee.
Extreme fire threat remains in place across much of southern California as strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions plague the region. National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Mike Wofford previously told Newsweek that the winds are common for this time of year, although it's a stronger event than usual. Coupled with low humidity and dry conditions, the fire risk has been extreme.
As of Wednesday morning, the Franklin Fire was only 7 percent contained, CAL FIRE's report said. Officials have closed several roads as the flames continue to burn, and Pepperdine University students are sheltering in place.
Much smaller fires also are burning in San Diego County and San Bernardino County. Both of those fires, totaling 38 and 10 acres respectively, ignited on Tuesday.
English (US) ·