Actor James Woods cried Wednesday while recounting the destruction of his home by the deadly California wildfires raging through the Los Angeles area.
Woods, 77, told CNN he lost his home in California’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood as devastating wildfires ripped through the region. Woods said his wife’s 8-year-old niece offered up her piggy bank to help rebuild their home.
“One day you’re swimming in the pool and the next day it’s all gone,” Woods said as tears came to his eyes.
“She came out with her little Yeti piggy bank, for us to rebuild our house,” he said, crying, of his niece’s sweet offer.
Several fires are raging through southern California this week, killing at least five people and injuring countless others.
The Eaton burned through close to 11,000 acres. Meanwhile, the nearby Pacific Palisades fire has scorched nearly 15,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 structures, making it the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history.
Woods, known for his roles in Once Upon a Time in America and Vampires, has also lamented the loss of his home on social media.
“All the smoke detectors are going off in our house and transmitting to our iPhones,” he wrote on X. “I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one.”
“We renovated a home after Covid and just finished last month,” he wrote in another post. “To all the lovely people offering care and love, I’ll say this. There is no possession as priceless as friends and good neighbors during a tragedy. I can’t believe the blessings we enjoy, and I am humbly grateful.”
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In addition to the deaths, the fires have caused several injuries, including to a 25-year-old firefighter, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott.
More than 150,000 are under evacuation orders and more than 1.5 million people are without power as of Wednesday evening.
Dangerous wind conditions were not expected to let up until the end of the week. California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency, and the state’s National Guard was working to aid firefighters.
“This is not a normal Red Flag,” Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, told residents.