'The heartbreak is truly indescribable': Paris Hilton returns to charred remains of her Malibu beach house

10 January 2025, 08:44 | Updated: 10 January 2025, 09:01

Paris Hilton shares footage of devastated LA home

Socialite Paris Hilton has told of her ‘complete shock’ after returning to see the charred remains of her Malibu beach house which was destroyed in the LA wildfires.

She said she was heartbroken after visiting the wreckage of her $8.4m property, just one day after watching it ‘burn to the ground on live TV.’

She posted video footage online showing her walking through what was once the grand entrance to the property - now reduced to a pile of rubble.

Paris wrote: “This house wasn’t just a place to live— It was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family. It was where Phoenix’s little hands made art that I’ll cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner.

“To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.

“What breaks my heart even more is knowing that this isn’t just my story. So many people have lost everything. It’s not just walls and roofs—it’s the memories that made those houses homes. It’s the photos, the keepsakes, the irreplaceable pieces of our lives.

“And yet, in this pain, I know I’m incredibly lucky. My loved ones, my babies, and my pets are safe. That’s the most important thing, and I’m holding onto that gratitude with everything I have.

Read more: LA arson suspect arrested as investigation launched into Kenneth Fire

Read more: LA wildfires leave '$50bn trail of destruction' - as Harry and Meghan urge Californians to 'open their homes'

“And beyond grateful to all the the fire fighters, first responders and volunteers risking their lives to fight these fires.”

Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges is also among the most recent stars to confirm the family home that his parents bought in Malibu years ago, and he owned, was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire.

Mel Gibson told NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas Reports that the home he had lived in for over a decade had burned while he was appearing on an episode of the Joe Rogan podcast.

Meanwhile, Gilmore Girls star Ventimiglia, whose wife Jarah Mariano is due to give birth imminently, became emotional as he returned to see his home had burnt to the ground.

In an interview on US outlet CBS News, he said: "You start thinking about all the memories in different parts of the house and whatnot and then you see your neighbours' houses and everything kind of around and your heart just breaks."

US actor Billy Crystal, The Princess Bride star Cary Elwes, talk show host Ricki Lake, The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag and Oscar-winning songwriter Diane Warren also lost their homes in the fires.

Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis and her family pledged one million dollars (£812,000) to start a "fund of support" for those affected by the wildfires.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also understood to have donated supplies to people affected by the weather event.

The Sussexes also invited into their home friends and loved ones who had been forced to evacuate, it is understood.

The fires have thrown Hollywood's awards season into disarray, with the Critics Choice Awards and the Oscar nominations among events rescheduled as firefighters attempted to battle the blaze.

The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area this week have burned down at least 10,000 homes, buildings and other structures.

The fast-moving Kenneth Fire started in the late afternoon in the San Fernando Valley near the West Hills neighbourhood and close to Ventura County.

Only hours earlier officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region's devastating wildfires that have killed seven people so far.

"We are expecting this fire to rapidly spread due to high winds," Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said, echoing the forecast that called for winds to strengthen on Thursday evening through to Friday morning.

The orders came as Los Angeles County officials announced the Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started on Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed more than 5,300 structures.

Between the Eaton and Palisades fires, more than 10,000 structures have burned.

All of the large fires that have broken out this week in the Los Angeles area are located in a roughly 25-mile band north of downtown.

The Kenneth blaze ignited less than two miles (3.2 kilometres) away from the El Camino Real Charter High School, where people are sheltering from the fire in Palisades. The two fires are about 10 miles (18 kilometres) apart.

Dozens of blocks were flattened to smouldering rubble in scenic Pacific Palisades. Only the outlines of homes and their chimneys remained. In Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.

At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and groceries were lost. So too were the Will Rogers' Western Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel, local landmarks dating to the 1920s. The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage or specifics about how many structures burned.

Firefighters made significant gains on Thursday at slowing the spread of the Eaton and Palisades fires, though Eaton remained at zero percent contained and Palisades at only a small percentage.

Crews also knocked down a blaze in the Hollywood Hills, allowing an evacuation to be lifted on Thursday. The fire that sparked up late on Wednesday near the heart of the entertainment industry came perilously close to igniting the famed Hollywood Bowl outdoor concert venue.

"While we are still facing significant threats, I am hopeful that the tide is turning," Los Angeles County supervisor Kathryn Barger said Thursday.

Water dropped from aircraft helped fire crews quickly seize control of the fires in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City, officials said. Much of the widespread destruction occurred on Tuesday after those aircraft were grounded due to high winds.

Fire officials said on Thursday that they do not yet know the cause of the fires but are actively investigating.