Melissa Rivers recalled how swiftly the California wildfires spread, forcing the county’s Ready, Set, Go evacuation plan to essentially skip straight to “Set.” That left her with little time to gather her most valued possessions before fleeing her home.
When the final warning arrived, Rivers said Tuesday, “The fire was still a canyon away, but you could clearly see the flames.”
In the rush to evacuate, she quickly gathered her pets and a few sentimental items, including her late mother Joan Rivers ’ Emmy Award. “I grabbed both my parents’ watches and my dad’s dress watch," which she had given to her son Cooper for his 18th birthday.
She also managed to pack a few pieces of clothing. “All our belongings are crammed into three tote bags, three large canvas bags, and several Macy’s plastic bags along with a CVS bag,” she said.
The fire completely devastated her property. “We lost everything. The only thing that survived is our front gate and the barbecue,” Rivers shared.
She described the scale of destruction as unimaginable.
“It’s so much more than just the homes — it’s an entire town wiped off the map,” she said. “Many businesses in Palisades were family-owned. There are people who not only lost their homes but also their businesses and livelihoods.”
Finding safe shelter has been another challenge.
“We’ve had to move three times due to evacuations, but we’ve settled at a friend’s house in Santa Monica,” Rivers said. “They’ve been kind enough to take us in, along with another family we’re friends with.”
Rivers copes with these challenges through her self-proclaimed “dark sense of humor” and her knack for making people laugh. She also finds solace in supporting others who are struggling, which helps to ease her own burdens.
“Checking in and comforting the people in my world that are affected by this allows me to not deal with my home stuff right now. I cried once for five minutes and then again for like 20 and don’t have time to do that. I am my parents' daughter.”
Despite losing most of her belongings, Rivers is adamant about prioritizing those in greater need.
“People are donating, and stores are offering huge discounts. I see so many of my friends from the Palisades wanting to get a discount somewhere. And I keep trying to say to them, these are not meant for you. You can buy another pair of freaking jeans at Neiman Marcus just like you always did. Let the people who really need it have the first shot at it.”
Among the charitable donations, one stood out to Rivers.
”Apparently, Jennifer Lopez dropped off some clothes. And we were laughing someone, somewhere just got a pair of a Jennifer Lopez’s jeans. How amazing,” she said.
John Carucci, The Associated Press