Cyrus, Hemsworth lose home, donate to foundation
NEW YORK — Though Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lost their home in the Woolsey Fire in Southern California, they are donating $500,000 to The Malibu Foundation through Cyrus’ charity,
The Happy Hippie Foundation.
“Miley and Liam lost their home but are very grateful to be safe along with their animals! Their community and state are very special to them and they want to give back to the place that has created so many beautiful memories for themselves and others,” a representative for Cyrus said Tuesday in a statement.
The couple’s home was in Malibu, and the statement said they hope their donation can “restore Malibu’s magic.”
“These funds will be used for those in financial need, emergency relief assistance, community rebuilding, wildfire prevention and climate change resilience,” the statement read.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he canceled a trip to Asia and will visit the fire zones Wednesday and Thursday.
The fire in Northern California charred at least 195 square miles, but officials said crews were able to keep it from advancing toward Oroville, a town of about 19,000 people.
The state recently completed a $1.1 billion reconstruction project at the Oroville Dam — the nation’s tallest, at 770 feet — and officials worried about damage from flames. Spillways at the dam crumbled during heavy rains in 2017, prompting thousands to flee for fear of a catastrophic release of water.
The cause of the fires remained under investigation, but they broke out around the time and place two utilities reported equipment trouble. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, who will take office in January, sidestepped questions about what action should be taken against utilities if their power lines are found to be responsible.
People who lost homes in the Camp Fire sued Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Tuesday, accusing the utility of negligence and blaming it for the fire.