Actress Jane Seymour flees Californian wildfires ‘just in time’
British actress Jane Seymour has said she left her home “just in time” with flames “right up to my house” as fast-moving wildfires ripped through Malibu, California.
The 73-year-old star said she left with just the clothes she was wearing and has been sleeping elsewhere since the blaze started on Monday evening.
Seymour said her “whole house smells of smoke” when she returned home three days later.
Speaking on the red carpet of the British American Business Council (BABC) annual Christmas luncheon, she said: “I just literally had jeans and a sweater, which I’ve been wearing for four days and sleeping at different people’s houses.
“On Monday night, at 10.50pm, we got a call from my partner, John Zambetti’s son Johnny, who was in Serra Retreat.
“[He] saw a glow behind the curtains, opened the windows, saw 10ft flames, and called us immediately and said, ‘Get out. Get out’.
“We all got out just in time because of that.”
Thousands of people in the upmarket city have been forced to evacuate, with fellow stars including Dick Van Dyke and Cher also fleeing the area.
The latest update from the City of Malibu confirmed more than 4,000 acres burned during the wind-driven wildfire named the Franklin Fire by authorities, with 14 buildings destroyed and 13 damaged.
Firefighters tackling the Franklin Fire. Pic: Reuters
Honoured with the BABC LA icon award at the Los Angeles event, Seymour said: “This is a huge honour, and after the week that we’ve had with the fires coming right up to my house, I couldn’t even conceive of putting clothes on, let alone being able to come and talk to anyone about anything.”
On the red carpet, Seymour said the blaze “did not attack the house” because “the fire trucks just came right away, and we got saved”.
“The whole house smells of smoke, but we’re just so grateful,” she said.
“The job the fire brigade did is beyond belief. If you are where I live, and you look up the hill… every house the fire came right up to one inch of the dwelling.
“It is absolutely incomprehensible to me that so few structures were burned.”
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The two-time Golden Globe-winning actress is best known for playing a Bond Girl in 1973’s Live And Let Die, and has since described the Bond franchise as “probably the most important British export you can be a part of”.
Her later part as Michaela Quinn in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman – helped her seal her Hollywood fame.
Seymour said: “I don’t know how that works, because usually you turn 40 and you’re a woman and you’re too old. But when I was 40, I got a little thing called Dr Quinn, and that really saved my life – I’ve been very fortunate,” she said.
She added that she feels “incredibly blessed” to be working into her 70s.
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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