The 74-year-old actress took matters into her own hands after a fallen down tree blocked her driveway as the fires approached.
Meryl Streep underwent a nerve-wracking scenario in an effort to escape her home when she was forced to evacuate during the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
In a new
article for New York Magazine written by Streep’s nephew, he detailed how the 74-year-old actress took matters into her own hands when she cut a large hole in her fence for her car to drive through after her driveway was blocked.
“Evacuation mandates were sent across the city. My aunt Meryl Streep received an order to evacuate on January 8, but when she tried to leave, she discovered that a large tree had fallen over in her driveway, blocking her only exit,” wrote Abe Streep.
“Determined to make it out, she borrowed wire cutters from a neighbor, cut a car-size hole in the fence she shared with the neighbors on the other side, and drove through their yard to escape,” he continued.
The Oscar-winning actress reportedly
purchased her home in Pasadena back in 2017 for $3.6 million dollars.
Tens of thousands of residents were left displaced after the Palisades and Eaton fires, among others, broke
out on Jan. 7.,
including a number of other famous faces.
Paris
Hilton, Martin Short, Mel Gibson, Mandy Moore,
Haley Joel Osment, Adam Brody, and Leighton Meester, along with reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, are among the celebrities who have lost their homes.Osment also spoke with Abe in the article, detailing his personal experience that not only affected him but his family as well, after his father lost his home.
Among personal items destroyed, the actor said he lost 500 records and a piano his parents had gifted him for his 18th birthday.
Despite this, Osment said he plans to rebuild his home due to his love for the Altadena area, but when looking back, he questioned what led to slow response times.
“Not to cast blame or anything, but I just want to know, when this is all investigated—was there a decision to just let the whole neighborhood go?” Osment said.
The Palisades and Eaton fires are considered the most destructive in LA history, with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office
reporting 29 people have died as a result of the fires.
Official damage assessments remain ongoing, but according
to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, over 16,000 structures were either destroyed or damaged, and more than 57,000 acres burned.
As of Jan. 28, the Palisades fire
is 95 percent contained, and the Eaton fire stands at 99 percent containment, according to officials.
