Ricki Lake Gives Dramatic Step-by-Step Account of Her Fight to Save Los Angeles Home: ‘Do We Stay or Do We Go?’

  • On Thursday, Jan. 9, Ricki Lake provided a step-by-step account of how she and husband Ross Burningham tried to save their Malibu home before it was destroyed in the L.A. fires
  • “1/7/25 The day we lost our home. timeline of our efforts to save our beloved home in Malibu,” she wrote in her caption
  • The former talk show host lost her Malibu home on Wednesday, Jan. 8

Ricki Lake is detailing how she bravely fought to save her Malibu home from the Los Angeles fires.

On Thursday, Jan. 9, the talk show host and actress, 56, shared a step-by-step video that showed how smoke and flames gradually approached her property before it was destroyed.

“It’s happening right now,” she said at the start of the video, as she showed the fire from a distance. “Huge fire in the Palisades.”

Lake then captured footage of sprinklers working in her back garden, as she and her husband Ross Burningham prepared for the worst.

“Thankfully, my sprinklers are working,” she said. “We have our system set up.”

Filming Burningham hosing down palm trees, Lake warned, “That’s so hot, honey.”

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Ricki Lake Documents How She Desperately Tried to Save her Home amid the Los Angeles Wildfires
Ricki Lake’s view from her home before evacuating during the LA fires.Ricki Lake/Instagram

As the evening drew in, the fire appeared stronger, while the Hairspray walked along a pathway toward two vehicles.

“1/7/25 The day we lost our home. timeline of our efforts to save our beloved home in Malibu,” she wrote in her caption. “11:24 am early signs of smoke in Temescal Canyon 11:54 am setting up our fire defense system.”

Ricki Lake Documents How She Desperately Tried to Save her Home amid the Los Angeles Wildfires
Ricki Lake’s husband Ross Burningham tries to save their Malibu property.Ricki Lake/Instagram

“4:10 pm Ross hosing down our neighbors palm tree (baller move) 6:17 pm Ross attempting to siphon gas for the fire defense system motor. (Even bigger baller move, though it didn’t work.) 6:55 do we stay or do we go?”

Ricki Lake Documents How She Desperately Tried to Save her Home amid the Los Angeles Wildfires
Ross Burningham watering palm trees during L.A. fires.Ricki Lake/Instagram

In a second video, Lake revealed “we finally surrendered our efforts and left our home at 8:02 pm.”

“I’m praying that we have a home to go home to,” she said while sitting in a car with her dog.

As the car began driving, Lake continued, “I’m praying. We’re going down my street, praying for these homes and these people and my house.”

Ricki Lake Documents How She Desperately Tried to Save her Home amid the Los Angeles Wildfires
Ricki Lake details her attempts to save her Malibu property.Ricki Lake/Instagram

Filming the fiery scenes from her car window, the host said that she didn’t know what she grabbed from her home before she evacuated, adding, “I think I might have just said goodbye to my house.”

“Grateful to have made it out alive and uninjured. Forever grateful to @kirbykotler_ our absolute angel. He did everything to try to save our precious property. No doubt had we stayed, we would not have survived,” she continued in the caption. “Sharing for all who have been asking. Thank you for the love and well wishes.”

“Again, please pray for those impacted by this catastrophic event and help if you are able,” she concluded. “Bless our brave firefighters and first responders. May they stay safe. .”

Ricki Lake Documents How She Desperately Tried to Save her Home amid the Los Angeles Wildfires
Ricki Lake evacuating her home during L.A. fires.Ricki Lake/Instagram

Lake revealed on Wednesday, Jan. 8 that her home had been destroyed in the fire.

“Ross and I lost our dream home. This description ‘dream home’ doesn’t suffice,” she wrote, adding that it was their “heaven on earth” and “the place where we planned to grow old together.”

The property was also where Lake and Burningham tied the knot in January 2022.

Other celebrities who have lost their homes include Adam Brody and Leighton MeesterHeidi Montag Pratt and Spencer PrattAnna Faris,  Cary Elwes and Cameron Mathison.

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