STAR sisters Zooey and Emily Deschanel are the latest celebs to have had their beloved home, containing family photos and heirlooms, razed in the Palisades fire.
New Girl actress Zooey, 45, shared heartbreaking images of the pair’s childhood home completely decimated by the blaze – just one of the 12,300 structures destroyed in the worst wildfire in LA’s history.
The devastating Palisades fire has ripped through 23,713 acres and destroyed exceptionally expensive celebrity properties – including pads belonging to Paris Hilton and Mel Gibson.
Zooey wrote a heartfelt tribute to the “marvel” of her 1920s Spanish revival home which was “one of the oldest” in the Palisades.
The star reflected on her childhood home, calling it “spectacularly beautiful” that was “full of too many incredible memories to count”.
She wrote in the heartbreaking post: “It was not a mansion but it was cozy and lovely and unique and perfect to me.
“One of my friends growing up called it ‘The Church’ because the 14 foot ceilings with stained glass windows in the living room cast colorful shadows at the end of the day.
“And to me, it was holy, a sanctuary where we felt most safe.”
Zooey also went on to tell tales of family Christmas dinners, Easter egg hunts, trick or treating, weddings, birthdays and baby showers – all memories that were held in the rubble of the destroyed home.
She added: “We celebrated the best moments of our lives there”
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Not only did the family lose their house, but everything inside it too.
Zooey said: “The family photos that lined the hallways, the artwork, the piano I learned to play on, the wedding china, the furniture my great great grandfather built – the reminders of generations past: All have vanished into thin air.”
The actress acknowledged that their beloved home is one of an unbelievable 12,300 structures destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, describing how “so many people have lost so much”.
Zooey also thanked the firefighters who have been “working around the clock” to ensure residents are safe.
The 500 Days of Summer star shared the post on her 45th birthday, but explained she felt “kind of weird celebrating” due to the devastation that had occurred.
The actress posted a carousel of photos of the home, first showing the before and after of the fires.
She also shared a family pic of her and Emily with their parents Caleb and Mary Jo outside the home, and one of herself and her sister eating together in the family kitchen.
The devastating Palisades fire began in the LA neighborhood of Pacific Palisades on January 7 – and has since razed everything in its path, including more than 23,700 acres.
As of Friday, it is 39 per cent contained, the LA County Fire Department said.
Meanwhile on the other side of LA County, the Eaton Fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and is 65 per cent contained.
Combined, the wildfires have burned through 60 square miles as firefighters fought to get control of the flames.
The cause of the blazes remains unknown.
Supermodel Bella Hadid, 28, also had her childhood home burnt to the ground in the fires.
Bella took to Instagram to share images of the razed property, captioning the post: “Childhood bedroom.”
She also shared another devastating photo of the home in the daytime.
The Malibu mansion, dubbed the Carbon Canyon Estate, was also once rented by Kylie Jenner for nearly a whopping half a million dollars a month.
The last owner of the pad had just put it up for sale in July at $35 million.
The ultra-luxury property – which was once where Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda once lives and raised Bella and fellow model sister Gigi – has been completely decimated in the blaze.
Over 170,000 were forced to evacuate their homes as the fires ravaged Los Angeles County.
As Los Angeles residents left their houses, some homeowners hired private guards like Kirkwood to protect their property from looters taking advantage of the natural disaster.
On Wednesday, new Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a warning to looters and burglars.
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“There are people out there who have decided that they are going to take advantage of this tragedy and that they’re going to exploit this crisis for their own personal benefit,” the DA said.
“We have sent this warning, and I’ll say it again: The question is not if, but when you are arrested.
“You will then be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.”
Hochman’s warning comes as a looter allegedly dressed as a fireman was caught breaking into mansions devastated by the flames.
Crime runs rampant on the grief-stricken LA streets as an alleged arsonist admitted he started a fire because he “liked the smell of burning leaves.”
Firefighters are continuing to work around-the-clock to get the blazes under control.
While the strongest Santa Ana winds have weakened, the National Weather Service warned that more dangerous conditions are expected next week.
‘War zone’ LA feels ‘broken’ as fires still ravage the city – but we will rebuild
The U.S. Sun’s Assistant Editor for Exclusives Katy Forrester is an LA resident and she witnessed first-hand the horror as flames engulfed the city. She said the city feels like a “war zone
EVERY year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
