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Warriors of the Golden State Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed Thursday that his childhood home, which his parents purchased more than 50 years ago, burned to the ground following the wildfires that ravaged Southern California.
Speaking to the media before a match against the Detroit Pistons, Kerr responded to the devastation left by multiple wildfires that started earlier this week. His family home in Pacific Palisades, the area hardest hit by the fires, was destroyed by the deadly blazes.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr watches the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
“It’s been tough. My family is OK, my mom is in good hands, but her house is gone,” Kerr said solemnly.
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“The city seems to have been completely wiped out – it’s surreal and devastating. But luckily almost everyone escaped,” he added. “It’s hard to imagine how Pacific Palisades rebuilds itself and how it becomes a thriving community again. It’s just shocking.”
At least seven people have died as a result of several forest fires as thousands of people evacuated their homes. About 10,000 structures from Pacific Coast to Pasadena have burned as strong winds continue to fuel the fires.
A mobile home community devastated by the Palisades Fire is seen in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Kerr recalls, “In 1969 my parents bought this house and I was there just two weeks ago for dinner…we just celebrated my mother’s 90th birthday there last summer. »
The veteran NBA coach said that while his family and friends are safe, the loss is “unfathomable.”
“It’s not a loss of life, it’s a loss of property and that’s a whole different thing.”
Entire blocks are seen burned in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday, January 9. (AP/Mark J. Terrill)
Pacific Palisades’ largest fire started Tuesday. Officials said Thursday evening that containment was at 6%.
