ACTRESS SOMERS REFLECTIVE ON LOSS OF MALIBU ESTATE.Byline: DANA BARTHOLOMEW Staff Writer MALIBU -- For some, like Suzanne Somers Suzanne Somers (born October 16, 1946) is an American actress, author, and businesswoman. Best known for her role as the ditzy blonde Chrissy Snow on the ABC sitcom Three's Company, she also had a noted starring role on the sitcom Step by Step , it was paradise lost Paradise Lost Milton’s epic poem of man’s first disobedience. [Br. Lit.: Paradise Lost] See : Epic . But for those whose beachfront beach·front n. A strip of land facing or running along a beach. adj. Situated along or having direct access to a beach: beachfront hotels; beachfront property. Noun 1. homes stood tall, it was paradise sustained. The day after a wind-driven fire destroyed four multimillion-dollar mansions and charred four others, residents mourned or gave thanks for what they found. ``My nature is to look at the glass half-full,'' the former ``Three's Company'' star said in a statement Tuesday. ``We will rebuild, and I truly believe we will learn something great from this experience.'' Along once-quiet Malibu Road swarmed teams of weary firefighters, city inspectors, TV crews and residents still reeling from the fire. Just before dusk Monday, a 75-foot-high wall of flames -- fed by crisp brush and driven by Santa Ana winds Santa Ana Winds may refer to: 1. Santa Ana wind, a local Southern California reference to Föhn winds, a meteorological phenomenon occurring as a layer of wind is forced over a mountain range -- drying the air -- which then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope -- -- raced downhill from Malibu Bluffs Community Park opposite Pepperdine University Pepperdine University is a private institution of higher learning affiliated with the Church of Christ in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States. The university's location overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is adjacent to the city limits of Malibu. . Between the fire and the sea stood a tightly packed stretch of exclusive beach properties. One of them was owned by Somers, the 60-year-old actress, who returned from an out-of-town trip with her husband, former game-show host Alan Hamel Alan Hamel (b. June 1931 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was the co-host of a Canadian children's television show called Razzle Dazzle from 1961 to 1964. The show featured a talking turtle named Howard. , and found her home and jet-black Jaguar destroyed. ``This is the only outfit I have,'' Somers said early Tuesday, dressed in a black top and slacks as she looked over the smoking rubble of her home. ``This is the only outfit I have.'' Beyond the sand, waves from a dark blue ocean lapped softly along the shore. Atop the bluff, sheriff's and fire departments inspectors eyed a blackened black·en v. black·ened, black·en·ing, black·ens v.tr. 1. To make black. 2. To sully or defame: a scandal that blackened the mayor's name. 3. stretch of brush along Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Coast Highway may refer to:
It was there, within a 10-foot-by-15-foot patch of weeds not far from the Michael Landon Michael Landon (October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer, who starred in three popular NBC TV series that spanned three decades. Community Center, they say that the fire began. And it was there, beside a curb littered with hundreds of cigarette butts, that officials said they found no evidence of a man-made incendiary device. That left the possibility that a 25-cent cigarette flicked from a passing car had sparked the fire that destroyed homes valued at up to $25 million. ``It's difficult to pinpoint a cigarette butt as responsible,'' said sheriff's Detective Jim Gonzales of the arson-explosives investigative team, which had not released an official cause of the fire. ``We're going to go on our hands and knees with a fine-toothed comb.'' ``Given the conditions, if (the perpetrator A term commonly used by law enforcement officers to designate a person who actually commits a crime. ) knew (there) was a red-flag warning, a high-brush area, given the conditions, someone could be prosecuted.'' The potential charge for such negligence, officials said, was arson. Throughout the morning, visitors gazed through skeletons of blackened brush, thankful for the legion of firefighters who had once again spared their city after decades of devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. brush fires. For it was in a 1993 fire that the celebrity-rich city lost hundreds of homes and the lives of three residents. In 1996, fire destroyed six homes and injured 11 people. ``Thanks so much for the job you did,'' Hope Berk, 74, who lives across the highway, said to a soot-covered fire crew at Michael Landon Community Center. ``It was terrifying ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. -- a wall of flame, a tsunami of flame.'' Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La spokesman Ed Lozano noted that 26 homes were saved, and credited an aggressive attack that included 300 firefighters, four water-dropping choppers and two fixed-wing aircraft. ``We're good to go,'' added Roe Renish, a supervisor of 13 female inmates of Malibu Camp 13 who had worked around the clock to snuff hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. with heavy picks. On the arid hillside after dawn, 10-year-old Toren Norris picked up a blackened baseball -- with the remains of his signature. ``It's my own baseball!'' cried Toren, who plays Little League ball at the park. ``It's just amazing, absolutely amazing,'' said his mother, Catie Norris, 47, of Calabasas. Former Malibu Planning Commissioner Joel Walker said he'd grabbed a garden hose to wet down his foundation -- only to experience a direct hit of black sewer water from a water-dropping helicopter. ``The way I looked at it, any time (my home) could go,'' said Walker, 68, whose Malibu home was saved. While Howard Smith, 65, lost a guest house behind his home, his heart was with his next-door neighbors, whose home was destroyed by the blaze. ``I'm praying for my neighbors -- asking God if they can come back, rebuild and enjoy their new houses.'' Residents said that despite the fires, they would stay put along the coastline famous around the world for such celebrities as Mel Gibson, Pamela Anderson, Barbra Streisand and David Geffen. ``I love this place,'' said Joe Seinfeld, who has survived up to seven Malibu fires and countless mudslides, earthquakes and PCH PCH Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, see there roadblocks, as he eyeballed the ruins with binoculars. ``When I go through the tunnel into Los Angeles to work, I go to war. But when I come home, it's a vacation.'' dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3730 CAPTION(S): 3 photos, map Photo: (1 -- color) Suzanne Somers and husband Alan Hamel walk through the ruins of their Malibu home Tuesday -- a day after a fire destroyed their home and three others. ``I truly believe we will learn something great from this experience,'' she said. (2) Rubble from a home smolders along Malibu Road on Tuesday, a day after a wind-driven fire tore through the beach enclave. (3) A Malibu resident walks along the ash-strewn beach Tuesday, a reminder of the costly brush fire in the area the day before. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Map: Fire's origin and burn area Warren Huskey/Staff Artist |
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