A fire this morning at the rental home of television talk show host Ricki Lake on Pacific Coast Highway near Topanga Canyon Boulevard tied up highway traffic in both directions for several hours.
According to a report from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, a 911 call reporting the fire was made at 7:30 a.m. Lake, her two children and dog escaped the home unharmed. The structure was a total loss.
“Initial information provided to deputies by Ms. Lake indicates that she was trying to refuel a portable heater when the couch caught on fire and then spread to the rest of the home,” a Lost Hills report states.
The investigation into the cause of the fire will be handled by the Sheriff Department’s Arson/Explosives Detail.