'Big Bang Theory' star's home burns down in California wildfire
Johnny Galecki expressed his condolences for other victims of the vicious fire.
-- “The Big Bang Theory" star Johnny Galecki lost his ranch on California's Central Coast on Monday, his publicist confirmed, when a massive wildfire torched about 1,600 acres of land in the area.
Galecki’s home in San Luis Obispo County, California -- located about 190 miles northwest of Los Angeles -- reportedly burned down in the wildfire that has grown to 2.5 square miles since it began on Monday afternoon, according to a report from TMZ that was later confirmed by the actor’s representative.
Galecki expressed his condolences for other victims of the vicious fire while speaking in an interview with TMZ on Tuesday.
"My heart goes out to all in the area who are also experiencing loss from this vicious fire, the threat of which we live with constantly -- which may seem crazy to some, but we do so because living in our beautiful, rural area makes it worthwhile," Galecki said.
The wildfire, dubbed the Hill Fire by authorities, had been intensified by scorching dry temperatures across the region, according to fire officials. Dozens of residents in sparsely populated areas of San Luis Obispo County have been forced to evacuate, fire officials said.
Galecki, who also appeared in the hit 1990s sitcom "Roseanne," said he hopes to "reach out and rebuild" the community at some point in the future.
"It's never the structures that create a community -- it's the people. And if the people of Santa Margarita have taught me anything it's that, once the smoke has cleared, literally and figuratively, it's a time to reach out and rebuild," he told TMZ. "We've done it before, and will need to do it together again, and it will make our community even closer and stronger."
The Hill Fire was 60 percent contained as of late Tuesday, according to fire officials, who said evacuation orders would be lifted for "residents only" at 7 p.m. local time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.