Gerard Butler’s house ‘half-gone,’ others await fire’s toll

LOS ANGELES >> Celebrities whose coastal homes have been damaged or destroyed in a Southern California wildfire or were forced to flee from the flames expressed sympathy and solidarity with less-famous people hurt worse by the state’s deadly blazes, and gave their gratitude to firefighters who kept them safe.

“Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating,” Gerard Butler wrote in an Instagram post next to a photo that showed a burned-out structure and a badly scorched vehicle. “Heartbreaking time across California. Inspired as ever by the courage, spirit and sacrifice of firefighters.”

“Half-gone” the “300” actor grumbled in his Scottish accent in a video that shows embers, ashes and what’s left of his home. Camille Grammer Meyer of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” lost her Malibu home entirely on Saturday night, her publicist, Howard Bragman, said in an email to The Associated Press.

“Sadly my house couldn’t be saved,” Meyer, the exwife of actor Kelsey Grammer, wrote in an Instagram post that showed a huge house engulfed in flames. “The courageous firefighters were able to save my cars and personal items recovered from my home.”

Many others including Orlando Bloom, Alyssa Milano, Lady Gaga, Rainn Wilson and fashion designer Donna Karan were among evacuees. Some knew their homes were safe (for now) and waited for a chance to return. Others were in the dark, posting pictures of plumes of smoke and saying their houses were somewhere in there.

“Stay safe, California — and keep those prayers coming America,” Wilson said on his Twitter account, where over the weekend he was sharing photos of some of the more than 100 people missing in the huge wildfire in Northern California that has killed at least 23.

Milano said her house is “still in jeopardy” as strong winds kicked up again Sunday. DEAR OLD-FASHIONED >> Parents teach their children to be responsible by placing some responsibility on their shoulders. In the current landscape, it’s a good idea for a child to have the ability to communicate with a parent in case of an emergency. You and your husband could give your son a flip phone so he can do that if necessary.