With Australia deep in the midst of a horrific bushfire crisis, it’s become clear the lack of political leadership on the issue has led to a huge list of celebrities using their power and influence (as well as their personal checking accounts) to help those in desperate need.
But while celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Celeste Barber and Russell Crowe have pledged thousands of dollars of their own money towards helping others – and have also encouraged their millions of followers to do the same – they’re also battling the fires on a much more personal level, with their family homes directly under threat.
While many of our A-list stars spend the majority of their time overseas, and have multiple homes outside of Australia, the homes they own Down Under are currently under threat by the devastating fires currently raging across the country.
They too have experienced sleepless nights and emergency evacuations as they seek shelter and safety away from danger.
We’ve been following along on social media as they’ve been keeping us up-to-date with the tragedy around their local areas.
Keep on scrolling to see which celebrities have been directly impacted by these devastating fires.
READ NEXT: How you can donate and help communities and wildlife affected by the recent bushfires
Want to help? Links to donation sites below
Donate to the Australian Red Cross, who are supporting thousands of people in areas affected.
Donate to the Salvation Army, who are providing meals and additional support to those affected.
Donate to the St Vincent de Paul society, who are helping affected communities to recover with support to pay their bills, providing them with clothing, and assisting them in rebuilding their homes.
Donate to Foodbank, who will continue to provide meals to those affected.
Donate to the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, who have a Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund which will support people who have been affected by the bushfires.
You can donate directly to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, who have set up individual funds to support the families of the firefighters that have been killed.
For Victorian fire brigades, you can donate to the Country Fire Authority. They are also helping to provide additional accomodation for locals who have lost their homes.
You can also donate to the Country Fire Service in South Australia, and the Rural Fire Brigades Association in Queensland.
The World Wildlife Fund is taking donations to direct all of its efforts towards Koala conservation.
Donate to WIRES, who are currently helping to care for thousands upon thousands of injured and sick animals affected by the bushfires.
Support various GoFundMe’s which have been set up in support of animals, including Port Macquarie’s Koala Hospital, which is helping to rescue and care for injured animals.
Nicole
Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban own a mansion in the NSW southern highlands suburb of Sutton Forrest. The area is hugely popular with Aussie celebrities as a weekend getaway, just a short 90-120 minute drive from Sydney, but the area is currently under threat from the bushfires raging across the state.
While a representative for Nicole told People magazine on the weekend that her home was still standing, it’s definitely tough-and-go. “Their house is not on fire. It is under threat, so they are keeping a close eye on it,” the rep said in a statement.
On the weekend, while attending a pre-Golden Globes red carpet event in LA, a visibly distraught Nicole revealed she and Keith had donated $500,000 towards the bushfire appeal. “We’re devastated,” Nicole told Channel Ten’s Angela Bishop. “Keith and I are pledging $500,000 to all the services, the rural services fighting the fires right now,” she said.
Nicole and Keith also have other homes in Sydney, New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.
Michelle
Michelle Bridges and partner Steve ‘The Commando’ Willis own a home in the NSW Southern Highlands village of Kangaloon, which they purchased for a reported $2.7 million in 2017. The stunning five-bedroom property, which includes a tennis court with tennis pavilion, a solar-heated swimming pool, guest barn, art studio, purpose-built vegetable gardens and a dam, backs onto stunning bushland, putting the home in the direct line of danger.
Taking to Instagram on the weekend, Michelle said she and her family, including son Axel, travelled back to their home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for safety reasons, because their home “is in the firing line”.
“Watching the fire services on telly and on an app to see, my home is in the firing line. We are out, many things still there, but one can never replace a life. I can only hope. People and animals be safe.” Michelle wrote.
“We are not there, but there’s always a sick feeling in ones stomach… We are shattered for the wild life, the communities and the fire fighters. Our country is burning and the suffering is immense. There has to be a moment of taking a breath somewhere soon. Our firefighters are the most bravest people I know!”
Russell
Aussie actor Russell Crowe, who owns a 320-hectare property in Nana Glen, near Coffs Harbour in NSW, has been posting on social media about the bushfire situation since November. Parts of his property have been scorched by the fire, as seen in shocking before-and-after photos he posted on Instagram.
Russell spent Christmas in Australia with family, but when the fires first hit back in November, he was out of the country.
“I’m not in Australia. My family are safe, billeted with friends. Fire hit my place late in the day yesterday. My heart goes out to everyone in the valley,” he wrote to his 803,000 Instagram followers.
He’s also donated $105,000 to various local Rural Fire Service brigades around his local area. “So… delivered 19 cheques to RFS Captain John Lardner, a total of $105k,” he captioned the photo above.
“I want to thank the volunteers all over the state and all over the country that work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
Turia
Ultramarathon runner and inspirational Turia Pitt lives in Mollymook, on the New South Wales south coast, with her husband Michael Hoskins and their son Havakai. Turia is currently pregnant with the couple’s second child, meaning she is among those who health experts say should avoid smoky areas affected by the bushfires.
Turia two
This is a photo Turia uploaded from her home in Mollymook.
“It’s been a crazy time on the South Coast, with unprecedented conditions and a lot of fear and loss,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a list of ways people can help.
“But there are lots of people doing really awesome work for our community. THANK YOU! ❤️ If you want to help, you can do so by … Supporting local businesses, donating to Treading Lightly (a local grassroots organisation directly getting help where it is needed, and donating to the RFS”.
Sam
Sunrise host Samantha Armytage spends most of her time in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, but she also owns a country retreat in Bowral, in the NSW southern highlands. It seems she also spent some time in the summer holidays further down the NSW coast, as she shared this selfie of herself and her dogs travelling back home from Nimmitabel, NSW, close to Bega and Cooma.
“A belated HNY to you all. We’ve made it out of the South Coast fire zone & I’m feeling very excited for a shower, some electricity & telecommunications,” Sam wrote on Instagram.
“More seriously, I’m feeling very thankful for my lot in life & very sad for those who’ve just lost lives, livestock & livelihoods. I plan to use the year ahead wisely. To simplify my life.
“With more love for my loved ones, more kindness, more patience, more healthy living.
“Wishing for more rain for our farmers, better management of our environment & good karma for all those brave souls (paid & unpaid) out there fighting these horrendous fires.
“To you & yours, from me & mine, be safe. Be happy & love lots in 2020. SA xx 😘.”
Phoebe
Former journalist and now influencer Phoebe Burgess, the ex-wife of NRL star Sam Burgess, spends a lot of time at her parents’ house in Bowral, NSW. But she made the decision to leave her parents and take her two small children – Poppy and Billy – back to Sydney, after conditions worsened over the weekend.
Phoebe
“I left our property in the Southern Highlands mid morning with my children due to the increased danger overnight, proximity of the fires, poor air quality and with two tiny bubs an inability to help on the property and fear the highway would close again,” Phoebe wrote on her Instagram stories.
“Leaving my whole family was heartbreaking … but the added stress of having young children in an area on high alert wasn’t tenable. We have – luckily – had the bonus of time.”
Love Island’s Grant Crapp loses home in bushfires
Celeste
Aussie comedian Celeste Barber has made Australia’s bushfire crisis go viral overseas, thanks to her mammoth fundraising effort, which has encouraged people all over the world to raise a collective $31 million (and counting) towards the bushfire appeal.
It all started when the home of Celeste’s mother-in-law in Eden, NSW, was threatened and locals were being offered little to no resources to help fight their homes.
Robert
Robert Irwin, the eldest son of Terri Irwin and the late Steve Irwin, works at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and has been helping take care of many of the animals displaced by the horrific bushfires.
While Australia Zoo is safe and well away from the danger zone, the site has become a safe haven for thousands of animals who have nowhere else to go.
“Bear’ is one of the hundreds of baby fruit bats that lost their homes in the horrific NSW fires,” Robert wrote on Instagram.
“We’re doing our best to treat every animal we can – but unfortunately millions of other creatures are not as lucky as this little guy. Thank you to all of the firefighters on the frontline – if you want to help, please support local fire crews. You can find out more about our wildlife hospital and how to donate at wildlifewarriors.org“.
Rob’s sister Bindi Irwinsays the zoo’s Wildlife Hospital is “busier than ever” and has treated more than 90,00 animals affected by the fires.
