Meryl Streep’s escape from the Los Angeles wildfires felt like a scene from a movie.
The Oscar-winning actress took action herself to get away from the huge fires that spread across the city and nearby areas, forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes.
The actress’ nephew, New Mexico writer Abe Streep, wrote about the fire’s damage in a story for New York Magazine. He shared that his aunt had to cut a hole in her fence big enough for a car after she was told to evacuate earlier this month.
“My aunt Meryl Streep received an order to evacuate on January 8, but when she tried to leave, she discovered that a large tree had fallen over in her driveway, blocking her only exit,” he wrote. “Determined to make it out, she borrowed wire cutters from a neighbor, cut a car-size hole in the fence she shared with the neighbors on the other side, and drove through their yard to escape.”
Abe also wrote about how Martin Short, who is rumored to be dating Streep and stars with her in Only Murders in the Building, had to evacuate.
The Emmy-winning actor told Abe that it took him over an hour to leave his neighborhood in the Pacific Palisades. He saw some people leave their cars behind and walk away from the fire because the roads were jammed with everyone trying to escape at once.
Short’s house was not damaged by the fire, but one of his sons lost his home nearby.
Since the wildfires started on January 7, thousands of people in L.A. have lost their homes, and many other buildings have burned down. As of Monday, at least 29 people had died in the fires.
