Wildfires force Kirk Douglas to flee California home

London, May 18 (ANI): Legendary actor Kirk Douglas has revealed that he has had to flee his home in Montecito, California, as wildfires threatened to engulf it.

Douglas, 92, was visiting his grandchildren in Santa Barbara County earlier this month, when they received an evacuation warning from fire officials.

The actor, who is still nursing a broken foot from an accident last month, could only watch helplessly as his wife Anne packed the essentials they would need in an emergency.

"We got a notice to be ready to evacuate, the wind had changed and the fire was coming closer. From our doorstep we could see the flames and smoke billowing on the mountainside. We debated about leaving but the order was not yet given to evacuate," the Daily Star quoted him as writing on his blog.

"I said, 'Let's stay,' and my nervous wife, Anne, agreed but she started to make preparations. She left the gate open in case the power went off and we were trapped. With our housekeeper Mary's help, she put the car in the driveway and loaded it with water and blankets. Then, she gathered up all of our personal effects and spent the rest of the night waiting.

"I was no help - I'm still wearing the plastic boot because of the broken bone in my foot. Don't tell anybody, but I slept through the whole thing. In the morning, the air was getting smoky so we left for Los Angeles," he wrote.

As the fire grew bigger and bigger, it drove more than 30,000 people out of Santa Barbara County, and destroyed more than 80 homes.

When Douglas learnt about the destruction the fire had left behind, he was devastated.

"I feel very sad for them. Mother Nature can be tough, but when that happens you not only have to protect yourself, you have to try to help others," he added. (ANI)