Neil Young's home burns down in California wildfires
Neil Young has lost his home to the wildfires devastating parts of northern and southern California.
In a statement posted to his Neil Young Archives site, the 73-year-old rock icon wrote: “I have lost my home before to a California fire, now another.”
According to Variety, Young bought the eco-friendly property near Malibu from Daryl Hannah for $3,600,000. The pair have since married.
Young also used his post on his website to attack President Donald Trump, who blamed “gross mismanagement” and “poor” forest management for the devastation caused by the fires and even threatened to withdraw federal funding.
“California is vulnerable – not because of poor forest management as DT (our so-called president) would have us think. As a matter of fact this is not a forest fire that rages on as I write this,” Young wrote. “We are vulnerable because of Climate Change; the extreme weather events and our extended drought is part of it.”
“Our temperatures are higher than ever here in our hottest summer on record. That has not helped,” he added. “DT seems to be the Denier. (I’m holding back and not using the word liar because it rhymes with denier). It really is time for a reckoning with this unfit leader. Maybe our new congress can help. I sure hope so.”
He added: “Imagine a leader who defies science, saying these solutions shouldn’t be part of his decision-making on our behalf. Imagine a leader who cares more for his own, convenient opinion than he does for the people he leads. Imagine an unfit leader. Now imagine a fit one.”
At the time of writing, the Camp Fire in the north of the state has claimed 29 lives while the Woolsey Fire in southern California has claimed two lives as it damaged beach resorts including Malibu. Another 200 people are still missing across California.
Other celebrities who have lost their homes in the fires include Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson, and actor Gerard Butler.