Will Rogers’ LA home and Topanga State Park historic hotel destroyed by wildfires in California

Movie cowboy legend Will Rogers’ historic home and buildings in Topanga State Park were decimated by the raging Los Angeles wildfires, according to a press release from California State Parks.

In the Will Rogers State Historic Park (WRSHP), where Hollywood’s highest-paid actor lived in the 1930s, the house overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica was destroyed.

Before and after photos from California State Parks showed the level of destruction of the ranch, with only fireplaces left standing.

“State Parks was able to evacuate the horses and some of the cultural and historical artifacts, including artwork, at the Will Rogers SHP prior to the fire,” the release said.

CALIFORNIA FIRES ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, THOUSANDS NEEDED TO EVACUATE

The living room inside Will Rogers’ ranch house, left, and the home’s living room after the fire. (California State Parks via X)

American sound engineer Franklin Hansen, left, actor and writer Will Rogers and Scottish-born director Frank Lloyd stand on the podium at the 1934 Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (New York Times Co./Getty Images)

At Topanga State Park, the Topanga Ranch Motel and concession buildings were destroyed, the agency said.

Park employees’ houses were also lost to the fire, the announcement states. Between the two state parks, a total of more than 30 buildings were engulfed.

“California State Parks mourns the loss of these precious natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to all those affected by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero.

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In Topanga State Park, the Topanga Ranch Motel and concession buildings were destroyed by the wildfires in Malibu, California. (California State Parks)

California State Parks personnel are on site working to salvage artifacts and assess the damage.

“Since (Tuesday) afternoon, we have directed all available resources into emergency response efforts and are working to secure and protect as much as we can in affected nearby state parks,” Quintero said. “We are deeply grateful to our park staff and all partner agencies for their swift actions. Our highest priority remains the safety of the public, our employees and the first responders bravely battling the fires.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, six wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County, including the Pacific Palisades and Sylmar neighborhoods in Los Angeles and another near the city of Pasadena.

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Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told Fox News that five people had been killed in the Eaton fire Wednesday afternoon.