Cameron Mathison of ‘General Hospital’ Chokes Up as He Describes Losing ‘Everything’ in California Wildfire
Cameron Mathison is one of many Californians who has lost nearly everything in the wildfires currently raging in the Los Angeles area. The General Hospital star’s home in Altadena was destroyed during the fast-moving Eaton Fire, which broke out Tuesday evening and has now spread to more than 10,000 acres.
Cameron Mathison loses home to wildfire
On Wednesday, Mathison, 55, shared a photo on Instagram showing the charred remains of his house.
“We are safe,” the former host of Hallmark’s Home and Family wrote. “But this is what is left of our beautiful home. Our home where our kids were raised and where they wanted to raise their own someday … sending so many prayers to everyone being affected by these fires.”
Mathison told Good Morning America (via YouTube) on Thursday that the fire spread so quickly that he was only able to grab a few personal items before fleeing.
“I’ve been up all night. I can’t sleep,” a visibly shaken Mathison said. “I’ve lost my home and everything that I own. I have this hoodie and a pair of pants and two pairs of sneakers left. That’s it.”
The ‘General Hospital’ cast member calls fires ‘surreal’
Mathison, a former GMA contributor, said he spotted what he believes was the beginning of the Eaton Fire as he left for dinner in Pasadena on Tuesday evening. Soon after, he realized the situation was serious and his home was at risk. He returned to grab a few items and then went to stay “at an apartment here in Pasadena with my daughter and her mom.” (Mathison and his wife Vanessa, with whom he shares two children, announced their separation in July 2024.) Later, he returned “into the smoke and the fire” and grabbed passports, birth certificates, and some photo albums. By the next morning, the house was gone.
The star of Hallmark Channel movies such as Very, Very Valentine and At Home in Mitford said he was thankful he and his loved ones were safe. But he said he’d lost many “irreplaceable” items in the fire, including his children’s artwork and baby photos and his own childhood photos.
“Of course, that’s just stuff. But at the same time, it’s very unsettling. It’s so surreal,” he said, adding that there were “hundreds, hundreds of people” who were experiencing the same kind of loss. “It’s just so devastating.”
The neighborhood where Mathison lived is “completely decimated,” he added.
“So many people, so much loss,” he said. “Our neighbors are coming together in any way we can, supporting each other.”
Other celebrities affected by Los Angeles fires
Mathison is not the only celebrity affected by the Eaton Fire. Mandy Moore, who also lives in Altadena, said that “miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing” after the fire. But her neighbors were not so lucky. “Everyone we know lost everything,” she wrote on Instagram. “Every house on our street is gone.”
Many stars have also lost homes in a separate fire in Pacific Palisades. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Jeff Bridges, Ricki Lake, and Anna Faris are among those whose homes have been destroyed in the blaze.
The Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire are the two largest of several fires currently burning in Southern California, stoked by dry and windy conditions. More than 170,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, thousands of structures have been destroyed, and many people are without power. Five people are confirmed to have died.
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