Former Arsenal star Carlos Vela has seen his home burn down in the wildfires which have been devastating Los Angeles.
Five fires are currently burning through the United States’ second-biggest city. The largest has been the Palisades fire, which has burned through nearly 20,000 acres, destroying more than 5,300 structures.
One of those structures was Vela’s, who moved to LA back in 2018 to join MLS side LAFC. The Mexican is currently out of contract, though he remains in discussions over his future with his former side.
The 35-year-old is now being forced to deal with the loss of his £3.3million home though. Vela’s wife Saioa Canibano revealed the tragic news on social media, though confirmed the family are safe.
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“Our beautiful Malibu home burned down yesterday… We are still in shock with everything that’s happening,” Saioa Canibano wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of a house apparently on fire.
“It’s very sad and scary to see everything burning. To all the messages of concern that are being sent to us, we are safe. Sending much love to all those affected and hopefully they will soon manage to put out the fire.”
Vela showed off his family’s home in a Christmas Instagram post last month. It reportedly boasted five bedrooms, more than five bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen with a breakfast bar and centrer island, as well as a dining room, living room, main room, cinema room, wine cellar and a guest suite.
The home is also thought to have included a spa, multimedia room and three suites with bathrooms and a laundry room. The property sat on land of almost 6,500-square-feet and had a swimming pool.
Vela spent seven years with Arsenal before moving on in 2012. He was a huge hit for LAFC, winning the 2019 MLS MVP, an MLS Cup trophy and two Supporters’ Shields titles.
Just six percent of the Palisades fire has been contained, with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection now having taken command of the incident. And they have warned the destruction is set to continue.
“The Palisades Fire continues to exhibit wind-driven and topographic runs upslope. Short-range spotting is still observed. Gusts up to 40 mph were observed into Thursday afternoon. North to northeast winds are expected to increase with poor overnight humidity recovery,” a statement read.
“There will continue to be a high likelihood of critical fire weather conditions through next week. The Los Angeles County and CAL FIRE Damage Assessment Teams (DINS) continues to assess and validate structures impacted by the Palisades Fire. More than 5,000 structures have been destroyed.”
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