As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Southern California has been devastated by wildfires and there are no signs that the inferno will be contained anytime soon.
Thousands of homes have been destroyed, at least five people have been killed, and many of America’s most famous neighborhoods will never look the same.
Countless celebrities have been affected by the fires, including John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, who have documented their evacuation on social media.
Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, and Their Four Kids Are Safe ‘As of Right Now’
With nearly 42 million followers, Chrissy has one of the biggest celebrity accounts on Instagram.
So when she shares her family’s harrowing evacuation story, she’s using her platform to send a widespread message about the horrors of these fires.
Thankfully, Chrissy was able to assure fans that she, John, and the couple’s four children — Luna, 8, Miles, 6, Esti, 1, and Wren, also 1 — are “OK as of right now.”
The family and their pets were able to evacuate to a nearby hotel.
(“4 kids 4 dogs and a bearded dragon walk into a hotel,” Chrissy joked in one post.)
But while Chrissy and family were obviously grateful to escape, she noted that they’re all feeling “very scared” at the moment.
“I haven’t had the words, it is a hellscape. … Thank you for reaching out. Looking for any and all ways to help our community right now,” Chrissy wrote on her Instagram Story, alongside a video showing a wall of smoke and flames.
In a video in which she’s seen frantically packing her children’s belongings, Chrissy described the entire experience as “very surreal.”
Ongoing Devastation
John and Chrissy are two of a growing group of famous figures who have been displaced by this week’s fires.
Ben Affleck was forced to abandon his $20.5 million home on Wednesday. The Oscar winner just purchased the property in July following his split from Jennifer Lopez.
Mandy Moore was also forced to flee, along with her husband and three kids. The actress documented her family’s ordeal on Instagram.
Sadly, it’s likely that many more such stories will emerge between now and the time when the fires are finally contained.
Our thoughts go out to the people of Southern California. We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.