Michael Jackson’s iconic Neverland estate is at risk of being destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire in Southern California.
The Santa Barbara County estate is perilously close to the Lake Fire, which has burned more than 18,000 acres since it started on July 5 and is less than ten percent contained, according to TMZ.
The wildfire is currently burning in rural areas near the Los Padres National Forest, but a significant shift to the south or west could push the flames into more populated communities.
“As we’re looking at the fire, we’re trying to go direct and directly on the fire line. If we can’t do it because of the steep, rugged terrain, we’ll go indirect. But we’re also looking way ahead of the fire as well,” said Anthony Stornetta, incident commander with Santa Barbara County Fire.
A record-breaking heat wave across the West, combined with increasingly dry conditions, has fueled the growth of several major fires.
“A heat wave this intense, this long, has not been experienced in this region in 20 years,” meteorologists from the National Weather Service reported.
During a weekend update, first responders did not specify how close the flames were to structures, but photos showed smoke visible from the entrance of Sycamore Valley Ranch, Jackson’s former property.
Jackson purchased the 2,600-acre property in 1987 and renamed it “Neverland Ranch” after the fictional land in the Peter Pan fairy tale.
So far this year, there have been 54 arson-related arrests, according to CAL FIRE.