An ABC News star’s home was burned down in LA’s wildfires just one night after she moved in.
Devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have wiped out entire neighbourhoods and killed at least 24 people so far, among fears the situation could continue to escalate over the coming days. Gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to intensify this week, the National Weather Service (NSW) has said, prompting rare Red Flag Warnings over the “particularly dangerous situation” – an alert reserved for “extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios.”
Reporter Zohreen Shah confirmed this week that her newly-purchased home has been destroyed by one of the city’s largest fires, raging in the Pacific Palisades area. Posting a joint post on Instagram with her husband Rishi Shah, Zohreen explained how her life had been turned upside down.
The TV correspondent shared: “I lost my home in the fires. It’s a total loss. We started moving in last week. Over and over, I told Rishi I couldn’t believe this sanctuary was ours. We spent one night there. Just one. It was magical. We dreamed of retiring in that same home. Just five minutes from PCH, yet it felt like another planet.”
She went on: “Deer walked up to the home, the birds sounded like a tropical island, and the ocean view was the California dream. We had peach, nectarine, lemon, and avocado trees — and a small enclosure for lettuce and strawberries, safe from wildlife.”
“But it was more than all that,” Zohreen added. “It was the culmination of Rishi’s six-year search for the perfect coastal home. He found it in November and we closed on Xmas Eve.
“I cook most meals at home, I haven’t had kids yet, and I don’t travel for fun. Because of this, over years, I saved enough for 20% of our down payment. I was so proud. And then — just like that — after years of working and saving, it was gone.”
Zohreen also acknowledged that she and her husband are lucky to be safe, but that it didn’t negate their sadness. “I ping-pong between feeling like a stronger, wiser version of myself and curling up into a scared, 4-year-old version,” she explained. “I’m also scared because this isn’t even over.”
The journalist then shone a spotlight on ‘questions’ she has for politicians and insurance companies, noting: “I’m determined to find answers. This journey is personal. I hope when people see me on TV or TikTok, they know they’re watching someone who saw her dream home turn to rubble — and is fighting to build it back again.”
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