By Dawn Chmielewski
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Raging wildfires that continue to burn a path of destruction through Southern California claimed the Will Rogers ranch along with a number of other local landmarks in what is already the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history.
Some monuments remain unscathed, such as the famous Hollywood sign that looms above the city in the Santa Monica mountains, and the Getty Villa, a museum named for billionaire oilman J. Paul Getty that houses a collection of artifacts and antiquities.
However, the Will Rogers ranch, home to the one-time vaudeville performer who rose to fame as a syndicated newspaper columnist, “cowboy philosopher,” radio personality and movie star, was gutted on Tuesday by the Palisades Fire.
State parks employees were able to remove some of the cultural and historical artifacts from the Rogers home, though the 31-room ranch house and stables are gone. All that remains are two chimneys.
It is unclear whether touchstones from Rogers’ life, such as a light fixture made from a wagon wheel and a stuffed calf that a friend gave him so he could rope on rainy day, were recovered.
“When you were there, you could really feel the guy’s presence,” said Ben Yagoda, author of “Will Rogers: A Biography,” who became overcome with emotion while discussing the loss. “It was kept exactly how they had it. It’s just such a lovely location and it’s very, very peaceful.”
Another casualty of the fire was the Topanga Ranch Motel once owned by publisher William Randolph Hearst.
In Altadena, the Eaton Fire claimed the Bunny Museum, the quirky home to more than 46,000 rabbit-themed objects that owners Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski collected over four decades. The museum, which earned a Guinness world record for amassing the most bunny-related items, was leveled by fire on Wednesday, despite attempts by Lubanski to save it.
“The museum was the last building to burn around us as Steve so valiantly hosed the building down all night long, but when the building next door went down, it spread to the museum,” the owners wrote on Instagram.
The Reel Inn, a seafood shack on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, was heavily damaged by the Palisades Fire. The restaurant known for its kitschy decor of faux sea creatures and twinkling lights was a local favorite, according to one review from Travel + Leisure.
“We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left,” owners Teddy and Andy Leonard wrote on Instagram. “Hopefully, the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles.”
The Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion Rand McNally co-founder Andrew McNally built in the late 1800s in Altadena was among the homes destroyed on Wednesday, according to video of the fire captured by ABC News.
“We aren’t just losing homes — we’re losing history, culture, and pieces of our shared history,” wrote Eric B. on the social media platform X.
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Mary Milliken and Bill Berkrot)
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