Eastenders star Patsy Palmer has updated fans after her family were evacuated from their Los Angeles home.
Huge wildfires have claimed the lives of 11 people, and burned down more than 10,000 homes. Patsy, who plays Bianca Jackson in the BBC soap, took to Instagram to reveal that her home is ‘miraculously ok’.
She said that her family had been evacuated her Malibu home earlier this week. The Mirror reports that the TV star, 52, revealed to fans how her home was almost burned down weeks before – a few days before Christmas Day – as a fire had broken out in her neighbourhood.
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She explained how that particular fire saw the land next to her home burned and her neighbour’s home destroyed. Patsy then went on to describe the pain she felt nearly losing many precious items which hold dear memories in the close call weeks ago – and how she is experiencing that all over again with the current wildfires.
Patsy then gave an update to her Instagram followers about her home and family amid the current disaster in Los Angeles, California. She said: “Our house is miraculously ok again.” And later added: “My family and pets are safe and I know will be doing what they can to help.”
Areas of LA have been devastated by the fires -Credit:Getty Images
The actress also added how she felt helpless as she is currently in London, but is doing everything she can by sharing resources on her social media accounts.
The series of photos and videos on Patsy’s post showed charred garden furniture and burned bushes on the outskirts of her property – from the first fire a week before Christmas Day. She also filmed several precious keepsakes including a school calendar from one of her children and a photo of one of her kids as a young baby.
Opening up to fans in the emotional post, Patsy said: “The week before Christmas I received a call at 2am LA time from my husband telling me they had been evacuated due to fire sorrounding our house in Malibu . The whole neighborhood was on fire ! I flew home to our precious home still standing but our neighbors had gone and the land next door burned. We cleaned out the garage finding things from years ago that we kept . Precious memories, photos , keepsakes etc.
“I felt an overwhelming sadness that we nearly lost these things . We had the most grateful Christmas to date enjoying being together mostly , still in our home. I left back to London to work with a full heart NEVER EXPECTING THIS TO HAPPEN a week later !! I experienced a small part of what it feels like to have lost everything we own and it was painful enough so to experience this again is beyond words.”
Patsy Palmer -Credit:Dave Benett/Getty Images for Quantus Gallery
The Bianca Jackson star continued: “Our house is miraculously ok again . It’s traumatic for everyone to lose everything they own and the precious memories that we often don’t know that we have in our garages . We laugh and say get rid of it but when it is taken it hits different.”
These two occasions aren’t the only times Patsy and her family have been affected by fire as she explained: “In 2018 a bit part of Malibu burned it was shocking to the core , we lost a rental so we were without a home for 3 months it was hard on the kids.”Patsy added she isn’t used to such disasters as she said: “I come from Bethnal Green and its a world away from these types of disasters. Having been through that though I also know how amazing community can be. It was so beautiful to see how everyone pulled together and helped everybody with things and trauma and just everything really.”
She added an update as Patsy wrote: “My family and pets are safe and I know will be doing what they can to help . Its surreal as you drive 20 minuite up the road and its like nothing is happening. The sun is shining and life is going on ( Thankgod ) but yes it’s surreal for sure. Sending all of my energy to everyone today . May you be blessed with healing love and so much understanding at this crazy time I’ll be sharing resources as I am helpless again here in London . I love you all so much . These are just some videos from the Christmas holiday that I took . Seem so small in comparison . Help it make sense for people”.