Jeff Bridges Reveals Harrowing Story Of Narrowly Avoiding Natural Disasters
We’ve all seen our fair share of Hollywood A-listers narrowly escaping disaster in any number of Roland Emmerich movies, though we tend to think of the actual movie stars as living comfortable, easygoing lives. This was certainly not the case for Jeff Bridges during January of 2018 however, as the Big Lebowski actor managed to barely survive multiple natural disasters in the span of a few short days. While discussing his harrowing tale on a recent episode of the podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe, Bridges estimated that he was caught in the crossfire of a “once in 1,500 year” event.
Escaping Mudslides And Wildfires
Specifically, Jeff Bridges found himself nearly buried in a mudslide right after escaping from his California home, which was evacuated due to historic wildfires. The story came up because Rob Lowe and Bridges are neighbors, and have lived side-by-side for decades. While recounting tales of the wildfires and subsequent mudslide, Rob Lowe confirmed that he was out of town during those events, possibly for a film shoot, though he feared for his son’s life as he remained back in the family homestead.
Thought It Was Bombs
Jeff Bridges took a more proactive approach to the raging blaze, which was recorded as the deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history at the time, by fleeing with his wife to their second home in Montecito, California.
As Bridges explained, this turned out to make things worse, as the second house was directly in the path of the Santa Barbara County mudslide, which left 23 individuals dead, and hundreds in peril. While speaking on his experience, the True Grit thespian stated “I was sleeping, and I hear boom! A big explosion, and I look out my window and the sky is all red. And then boom! I think we’re getting bombed or something. I didn’t know what was going on. Then I heard something that sounds like a train. And then boom, [the mudslide] hits our house.”
Bridges’ SOS
While not every home in the mudslide’s path was destroyed, Jeff Bridges claims that more than 4 feet of mud, rocks, and other debris came rushing directly into the downstairs part of his abode, prompting him and his wife to flee up the stairs to the highest point in the house. From there, they lost electricity and cell service, and waited while standing on a kitchen countertop for rescuers to arrive.
Finally, the couple heard helicopters circling overhead, though they soon realized that their home’s secluded location in the woods may prevent them from being seen. In an act of quick thinking that would rival the heroism of any action movie hero, Jeff Bridges scrambled out of his home with a set of bed sheets, and arranged them into a giant “SOS” symbol in the mud. This got the attention of rescuers, and hopefully a few Hollywood screenwriters, because it would make an amazing motion picture.
Everyone Safe, Pets Included
In closing remarks, Jeff Bridges joked about being airlifted away from the destruction zone and referenced a television interview he provided for local media at the time. The Carnival at the End of Days actor said of his wife Sue said, “‘I’m taking my dog,’ and there was a shot of Sue in this hot pink coat with her little Yorkie going up into the helicopter.”
Sold The Home To Oprah Winfrey
Once the ordeal was over and the wreckage had been cleared away, Jeff Bridges decided not to return to the home where this harrowing event took place. Apparently, he paid to have the site renovated and repaired before putting it on the market, and eventually sold the property to television and lifestyle icon Oprah Winfrey. If that doesn’t sound like a perfect ending to a disaster movie, I don’t know what does.
Source: Literally! With Rob Lowe
