Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's home in Los Angeles is reportedly in the vicinity of the Skirball fire, which is sweeping through the Bel Air area of the city.
The billionaire's $28.8 million, 16-acre estate includes the home he shares with his wife Jerry Hall, along with a winery and vineyards—all of which are under threat from the wildfires.
Major evacuations have taken place as a result of the various blazes north of Los Angeles County, which have destroyed more than 85 square miles of land. The disaster started with the Thomas Fire on Monday evening before four other fires started Tuesday afternoon.
The Skirball fire, threatening Murdoch's property, has swept through more than 150 acres of land, with winds helping the fire spread—although the Los Angeles Fire Department said those winds had now died down.
"The Bel Air fire of '61 had a similar footprint... we lost over 500 homes in that fire. The thing that stopped that fire was the wind died down," L.A. Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said in a press conference reported by Curbed LA. "Right now, we're experiencing favorable wind conditions."
"The greatest threat will continue to be the wind. If the wind dies down, we'll continue to get a handle on this. As we speak, I think we can make a lot of progress," he added.
A cause of the fires has not been established, however, officials suggested that the dry conditions in California had contributed to the blazes.
The National Weather Service said Thursday is expected to be the worst day for firefighting since the forecast is indicating high winds and dry weather.
People on Murdoch's estate were among those who had been ordered to evacuate; with NBC4 reporting that the estate was "burning down" although it is unclear if this also referred to Murdoch's house itself, which Bloomberg reported he bought as part of the estate he paid $28.8 million for in 2013.
"It was simply stunning," Murdoch told the Wall Street Journal after he bought the Moraga Vineyards estate.
"The winery and vineyard, and the wine were a great bonus. I very quickly fell in love," he added of the property.
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