The former Grand Tour star Jeremy Clarkson has issued a defiant statement defending the celebrity victims who are currently facing the Los Angeles wildfires after social media critics have been dismissing their losses and trauma.
Over the last week, devastating wildfires in LA have forced more than 153,000 people to evacuate their homes, with an estimated 10,000 buildings destroyed and at least 24 lives lost.
Among those affected are numerous Hollywood celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Spencer Pratt, Leighton Meester and Milo Ventimiglia, who have all lost their homes to the horrific blazes.
The fires have continued to rage for four consecutive nights, prompting both emergency evacuations and widespread community response.
As the fires sweep across LA, A-list stars have been forced to leave their livelihood behind and watch their homes be burnt to the ground.
Sharing their losses online, many celebrities involved have faced harsh criticism, with some social media users dismissing the trouble and hardships they may face compared to non-celebrities who are involved.
Jeremy Clarkson has shared his thoughts on the reception that famous LA residents have faced
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Making a stand for the celebrities’ losses, Clarkson defended their decisions to up and leave and wrote a strong-worded feature in his The Sun column.
He penned: “I know there are social media socialists saying, ‘They’re rich so it doesn’t matter’ But that’s nonsense.
“It doesn’t matter how much money you have, it always hurts to lose your photograph albums and your pets and your lifetime collection of fridge magnets.
“My heart, and I really mean this, goes out to everyone affected,” he emphasised.
Many celebrities have been forced to flee their homes
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Several celebrities have taken to social media to share their experiences of the disaster.
This Is Us actress Mandy Moore responded emotionally to critics who questioned whether she was helping her in-laws during the crisis.
“People questioning whether we’re helping out our own family or attributing some arbitrary amount of money Google says someone has is NOT helpful or empathetic.
“We just lost most of our life in a fire too. Kindly F OFF,” she fumed.
Other stars, including Heidi Montag, have also shared their devastation in emotional online posts.
Alongside his heartfelt message to those affected, Clarkson offered practical solutions for rebuilding in the fire-prone region.
Mandy Moore hit back at claims she wasn’t helping her in-law’s through the tough time
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He suggested California residents should invest in “expensive building materials that don’t catch fire quite so easily” rather than focusing on size.
The 64-year-old criticised California’s environmental approach, stating they are “obsessed with letting nature take its course and not interfering.”
“Your house will be smaller and less impressive, but at least it will survive the next fire that comes along,” he wrote whilst also calling for the introduction of “breeze blocks” to be put in place in California construction.
Firefighters are continuing their battle against the Los Angeles blazes from both the air and ground.
