Mandy Moore's Life-Changing Phone Call During Wildfires

Synopsis

Mandy Moore credits a crucial phone call from her brother-in-law for saving her family's life during the California wildfires, prompting them to evacuate before the official order was issued. Despite losing their home, she expresses gratitude for their safety as they begin the rebuilding journey.

Key Takeaways

Mandy Moore's evacuation was prompted by a phone call.
The family acted quickly without an official evacuation notice.
They lost nearly all possessions in the fire.
Moore reflects on the anxiety of waiting for evacuation updates.
The family is temporarily relocated while rebuilding.

Los Angeles, Feb 15 (NationPress) Hollywood star Mandy Moore believes her life was preserved due to a phone call on the night her family evacuated their home as the California wildfires drew near, even though the official evacuation order had not yet been issued.

Moore disclosed that she and her husband Taylor Goldsmith gathered their three children and pets into their vehicle after receiving a call from her brother-in-law just hours before the official evacuation order for Altadena was announced.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram, she reflected on the call that potentially saved their lives, stating: "We never received an evacuation notice. Sometimes, in the quieter moments of reflecting on the past month, I wonder what would have transpired if I hadn’t had my phone nearby, playing my usual 'piano for deep sleep' mix while nursing (baby daughter) Lou before bed, enabling me to take the call from my brother-in-law?

"At 6:45 p.m., he informed me that he, his wife, and our niece were evacuating, picking up my in-laws (his parents) and escaping, and we should do the same."

The actress noted that this call motivated her to swiftly evacuate her family and seek refuge with friends.

She continued: "I calmly descended the stairs and communicated this to my husband, and without hesitation, we quickly packed the kids (still in their pajamas), our dog, and hurried to locate our three cats as the power failed.

"I’ll always remember Taylor attempting to manually open our two small garage doors (which had just been completed around Thanksgiving and we were just beginning to use) amidst the terrifying 60 mph winds, as the sky turned a dark red and ash began to fall around us.

"We sped across town, dodging fallen trees on the freeway, to reach the safety of our dear friend’s home ... "

Moore mentioned that she spent the remainder of the night frequently checking an app on her phone to see when her area would receive an evacuation order, which did not arrive until the early morning hours.

She shared: "(I was) compulsively refreshing the watch duty app repeatedly. As we did all night. Over and over. Watching the evacuation zone close in on our small 8-block radius.

"It was not until 4 a.m. that it turned red. During this time, I was tossing and turning with an overwhelming anxiety I had never felt before, with both boys asleep between us in bed. Lou was on the floor in a travel crib, and the dog curled protectively by the door."

The family's residence suffered extensive damage from the fire, and Mandy revealed they lost nearly all their belongings and will need to embark on a long rebuilding journey, as it will be a "considerable time" before they can return, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

She remarked: "While our house remains standing ... the contents of our home are nearly a total loss. Clothes, furniture, almost everything will need to be discarded ... perhaps even the walls as well. We won’t be back for quite some time ... as the rebuilding process commences."

Nevertheless, Moore concluded by expressing her feelings of gratitude and luck for having escaped, and they have now secured a temporary residence while they work on rebuilding their home.