Billy Corgan Says Family Had to Evacuate During L.A. Wildfires, Calls Situation ‘Very Overwhelming’
Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan said he is among the nearly 200,000 people in Los Angeles who’ve been forced to evacuate due to the historic wildfires burning around the city. The singer/guitarist posted a video on Thursday night (Jan. 9) of airtankers flying over the hills dropping water on a giant plume of white smoke in the distance.
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“Footage I shot the other night of a fire near where we’d been temporarily staying,” wrote Corgan. “High praise for how the LAFD put this out; as the fire had spread from what you see here to the right and down the ridge. Please pray for everyone who has been hurt or displaced or lost homes and properties in this unprecedented situation.”
In an earlier selfie video, Corgan shifted the camera over his shoulder and noted that the white puffs behind him were not clouds, but smoke from the fires that have killed 10 people to date while destroying more than 10,000 homes and businesses and causing an estimated $57 billion in damage.
“I wanted to kind of give everyone a little message today, I’m feeling better. Thank you for all your well wishes,” Corgan said. “I’m out here in LA right now, and it’s kind of the apocalypse. I think about 1,000 structures built burned last night. People I know I’ve had to evacuate and it’s a pretty intense situation.”
Corgan noted that he and his family were safe where they were staying, seemingly out of the “zone of concern” in the midst of a number of raging fires (Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena, Sylmar, Calabasas) that are barely contained and which have been whipped up by near-hurricane strength Santa Ana winds in the city that has seen a fraction of an inch of rain over the past six months.
“We lost power last night and that was pretty intense because obviously, with the power out, it’s hard to get information and you know, you’re kind of almost fearful of going to bed, lest you miss an alert or something,” the Chicago-bred Corgan continued. “With this dry brush, the fires can move very quickly. So lots of love, of course, to all our friends and family that have been affected. The air quality where I’m at is not too bad. It hasn’t helped the recovering cough, but this at very minor against all this incredible and fearful devastation. So just wanted to give everyone an update, as I get tired of texting or writing things out, just seemed easier to put this in a video. So lots of love. Check in with you later.”
In the accompanying caption, Corgan also noted that he and his family had to evacuate the night before amid a situation he said was “at times chaotic,” revealing that one fire came within 250 yards of where they were staying. He also sent his thanks and love to the first responders who are tirelessly working to save homes and citizens in what has been described by many as an apocalyptic situation.
“Praying for everyone today as hopefully this can come under control for the entire area, which is vast in scope and so full of nature. The loss overall is awful and unspeakable and that is what I wish to highlight; as the fires touch every strata of society,” Corgan wrote.
The fast-spreading fires obliterated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, with a growing list of celebrities sharing that their homes have been completely destroyed, including Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Tina Knowles, Diane Warren, Eugene Levy, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Jhené Aiko, Milo Ventimiglia, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Billy Crystal, Brad Paisley and Anna Faris joining tens of thousands of others who’ve been displaced or lost their homes.
The Recording Academy and MusiCares have launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support music professionals impacted by the crisis, making a combined pledge of $1 million to launch the effort.
See Corgan’s posts below.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
