The California firestorms are epic, with 80 mile an hour winds devasting millions of acres. There is no hiding, for the rich or poor.
ESPN reports on how sports hero Lebron James of the LA Lakers handled this as he protected his home:
- EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — When LeBron James exits Staples Center on Tuesday night after the Los Angeles Lakers play the Memphis Grizzlies, he is unsure where he’ll go next.
- James and his family were evacuated from their Brentwood, California, home around 2 a.m. PT Monday and have been staying at a hotel ever since because of the Getty Fire.
- The fire, covering more than 600 acres in the Mandeville Canyon, has already damaged or destroyed more than a dozen structures.
- James said he received the first notification about the fire around 1:30 a.m. Monday — hours after the Lakers’ win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night — and an evacuation notice 15 minutes later. He could see the fire raging in the distance from the roof of his house.
So, you grab what is important.
- We finally got out of the house after 2 o’clock and finally got somewhere to safety around 4 a.m. in the morning,” James said after the Lakers’ shootaround Tuesday morning, adding that he only thought to grab his credit card and passport on his way out the door.
- “Didn’t get to sleep. We finally really got to sleep around like 6 a.m., 6:15. It just … it was crazy. It was crazy, to say the least.”
- James and his family piled into the car and sought refuge, only that was a process, too. Just because you’re an NBA superstar doesn’t mean that hotels keep rooms on hold for you.
- “Three hotels were sold out and then the fourth one was able to get us in,” he said.
With his $38 million salary, Lebron is the sixth highest paid player in the NBA, but like everyone else, you still need to pay your fare as you reposition during an emergency.
Your credit card: Don’t leave home without it.
Overview by Brian Riley, Director, Credit Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group