Candace Cameron Bure, Dallas Jenkins Grieve LA Fire Losses, Offer Prayers and Biblical Insight
Hollywood celebrities are taking to social media to voice their grief and frustration over the Los Angeles wildfires, which have destroyed parts of their community and so much of what they love.
Patricia Heaton Takes Aim at CA Gov't
Stars like Patricia Heaton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Maria Shriver are blasting Los Angeles government officials for fire department budget cuts, empty water reservoirs, and a lack of forestry management, saying their mismanagement has led to the catastrophic devastation in the area.
Heaton told Fox News she believes the LA fires have been a wake-up call to California residents that they "can't just rely on the government to take care of things."
But I guess that's what it takes to kind of break apart that bureaucracy and get the stuff done that the government is supposed to do, which is take care of the infrastructure first and foremost," Heaton said.
Candace Cameron Bure: Crying and Praying
Meanwhile, actress Candace Cameron Bure shared in a video last week that she had been "crying (her) eyes out" after learning that the homes of her friends had been destroyed.
"My heart is so heavy. Just sharing my emotions and stories here," Bure wrote in the video caption. "I am in deep prayer for the communities, people, and friends who have lost everything from the fires. And also the heroes who are helping."
"I sit in grief with you," she continued. "I kneel in prayer with you. I hold you tightly. May God comfort you in ways that surpass understanding."
In the four-minute video, the Great American Media chief content officer struggled to hold back tears as she explained how the fire engulfed the Palisades, a community where she and her family had lived for more than 30 years.
"Probably 80% of the Palisades [is] just gone," Bure said.
"When Val and I got married, we bought our first home up in the Palisades Highlands and lived there, and then throughout the years of our life, we've always had a home in either the Palisades or Malibu," she explained adding that her children once attended school there.
Bure shared that she recently sold her Palisades property but was still very close to many people in that community.
"It's so sad," she said. "I know them personally. They're my friends, and I feel so helpless."
"You can't even go to help and salvage anything that might be left through the destruction," Bure said. "And so we're just waiting for these fires to stop."
She told her social media followers that watching what was taking place in her old neighborhood was taking an emotional toll.
"I've been crying my eyes out. I've so been so depressed," Bure shared. "And I think I sat on my sofa the majority of the day and watched the news and was on the phone and calling everyone I knew and just watching what was happening. And it's just heartbreaking."
The actress shared that the home she raised her children in and the surrounding neighborhood is "decimated."
"The whole street is gone. There's nothing left of the house," Bure said.
She also shared that the man who bought her home moved in six months ago and recently shared with her that "it was really feeling like home for them, and they loved it."
"And then today it's gone," Bure expressed. "There's not even a wall standing."
The 48-year-old concluded, "My heart just breaks."
The wind-fueled fires have killed at least 24 people and swept across 40,000 acres destroying more than 12,000 structures.
Actors & Crew from 'The Chosen' Lose Homes
And while many helpless onlookers across the country are offering condolences and prayers for those who have lost almost everything, Dallas Jenkins is encouraging people to lean into God to receive comfort.
The creator and director of "The Chosen" posed a question online that many people may have asked, "So where is God in the L.A. fires right now?"
"I know that so many are wrestling with that, and what is happening in L.A. is apocalyptic. It is unprecedented," he said in the video posted to X.
Jenkins used the moment to update fans and followers about how the fires have affected actors, staff, and crew of the show that live in Los Angeles.
"Where is God in all this?" That's a fair question when we see such unprecedented devastation in LA right now. We've got an update for you on our cast and crew impacted by the fires, and we also want to wrestle through what God has to say about this kind of suffering. pic.twitter.com/xWSysg5fCT
— The Chosen (@thechosentv) January 9, 2025
"We have cast and crew out there, [my wife] Amanda and I lived out there for 10 years and have good friends and folks who are in areas that are typically considered safe," said Jenkins. "Like, it's not unusual for there to be fires in Los Angeles and Malibu and all that. It's unusual where it's happening and how huge it is."
"All of our cast and crew who live out there are safe. ... A few of them have lost their homes. We have a couple of cast members who have lost their homes. We have a couple of agents who have lost their homes. Some friends, co-workers, and whatnot who have lost their homes. The majority have not lost their homes and everyone is safe. No one has been injured or has lost a loved one," he added.
Dallas Jenkins Offers Biblical Perspective
Jenkins took a moment during the 11-minute clip to reflect on what is taking place and pointed to Psalm 34:18 which says, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" director said the scripture "acknowledges that hearts get broken. It acknowledges and accepts as fact and as a foundation that there are those who will suffer and their hearts will be broken."
Yet Jenkins encouraged people to continue to pray.
"Pray that God feels near to those who are brokenhearted because He is there and He is near and we don't always see that. We don't always accept that. We don't always allow Him to heal our broken hearts," he said.
"We do know that He is here for our hearts and the eternal perspective and our salvation," Jenkins added. "I pray that we can trust Him..even in the midst of this pain."
