SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (August 25, 2006) — A wildfire burned about 40 acres of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch on Friday, Access Hollywood has confirmed.
The fire came within a quarter-mile of the main residence, officials said.
No structures had caught fire at the 2,800-acre estate, Santa Barbara County Fire spokesman Jeff Ross said.
About 100 firefighters were battling the blaze along with water-dropping helicopters, Ross said.
Jackson, 47, was not at the house. He has been living in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain since being acquitted of child molestation charges in California in June 2005.
Purchased by Jackson in 1988, the ranch is located in Santa Barbara County in the lower foothills of the San Rafael Mountains, about two hours northwest of Los Angeles.
After a 2003 police search, Jackson said he would no longer live at Neverland.
However, he returned in late 2004 for a final farewell.
“I won’t live there ever again,” Jackson said. “It’s a house now. It’s not a home anymore. I’ll only visit.”
In March 2006, Jackson closed the main house at Neverland and laid off several of his employees.
Copyright © 2024 by Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.