Sandra Lee says her home has been destroyed in the deadly wildfires currently ravaging the Los Angeles area.
The cookbook author and TV host, 58, confirmed that her Malibu home had burned down on her Instagram Reel on Wednesday, January 8.
“Thank you for all the good wishes,” she begins. “I’m in a hotel. I don’t have a home anymore. My house is gone. It’s literally gone. I cried all night. Thank God, everyone is safe.”
She continues: “I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to share this, I don’t know what to do. All my stuff, all the last five years of my life. The only thing I can do is go to work, and I’m going to go to work today.”
She starts to say that she’ll “rebuild it, I mean,” but chokes on tears before she can finish her thought.
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Lee first announced that the fire was approaching her home in an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, January 7.
She included multiple videos of the fire scorching the ground and trees near the roads near her home. Another slide showed smoke billowing toward the Pacific Ocean as the birds took refuge in the water.
“My home in Malibu has seen me through some of the darkest moments of my life. I loved to create, decorate, build, nurture and protect it. I cherished every moment I spent with him,” she wrote in the description.
Lee bought the oceanfront home in November 2019 shortly after splitting from her partner of 14 years, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. At the time, PEOPLE reported that the condo sold for $3.38 million.
She spoke to PEOPLE about the split in December 2019, saying, “I was very, very sad for a couple of months. . . and I have to say that my heart is a little too broken to be open yet.”
The Southern California native said New York Post of her return to the West Coast, “That’s where I feel most at home, because I was born in Santa Monica — and I think we always feel best where we’re from.”
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A firefighter battles the Palisades fire on Tuesday, January 7.
Eric Thayer/Getty
“As the fire gets closer, I’m praying for it — I’m praying for everyone in Los Angeles right now. What an incredibly scary moment for my community,” she continues. “Until the fire reaches our doorstep, please stay in touch with each other; Community in times like this is our lifeline. We are all safe, but the fire is getting closer to my piece of paradise in Malibu.”
At the end of her caption, she notes why the property has special meaning to her.
“When I was a waitress at the Malibu Adobe in 1989, I dreamed of a home like this (FOR MYSELF) and worked hard for it. I am sad but sending all my love to all the 1st responders and firefighters who are literally doing their best to keep us safe!!!”
Along with Lee, many other stars living in the area have been sharing updates on the status of their homes, including Mandy Moore and Jamie Lee Curtis, who shared updates that they were safe after the evacuation but did not know the fate of their homes.
Tom Hanks’ son Chet says his childhood neighborhood is ‘burning to the ground’ amid Palisades fire
The largest Palisades fire first ignited around 10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and has grown to more than 11,000 acres. Multiple wildfires are currently burning throughout the Los Angeles area, and most are 0% contained, according to CalFire.
There have been two confirmed deaths during the Eaton fire, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone confirmed at a press briefing on Wednesday, January 8, according to CBS News and NBC News.
Click here to learn more about how to help victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
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Source: HIS Education