Powerball billionaire Edwin Castro’s $3.8m getaway pad now only smoking rubble as his mansions narrowly escape LA fires
A PLUSH multi-million dollar home of Powerball billionaire Edwin Castro has been turned into rubble after being gutted in the fires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
Castro snapped up the Malibu property in 2023 for $3.8 million, but all that remains is smoldering ash.
Footage obtained by The U.S. Sun showed waves lapping up against the lot.
All that can be seen is what looks like the foundations and what appears to be planks of wood.
The coastal resort looks as if it has been turned into an apocalyptic, barren wasteland.
Castro’s Malibu home was the third property he bought months after hitting the big time.
He holds the record for the largest lottery prize ever won in the US.
The U.S. Sun previously reported that Castro bought the home under a mystery LLC and that he had used his wealth to beef up his security team.
He ramped up his security team, and they have previously been spotted flying drones outside the estate.
This came at a point when he was the subject of a legal dispute that tried to call into question his Powerball success.
Castro, who landed the $2.04 billion dollar prize following a Powerball draw in November, also owns properties, including a sprawling $25.5 million mansion near the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
He is also the owner of a home in Altadena.
Just months after beefing up the security of his Malibu pad, the property has been gutted.
A series of wildfires continue to burn across Los Angeles, with the Palisades blaze causing the most damage.
Almost 20,000 acres have been torched, and only six percent of the fire is contained, according to stats from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
More than 5,000 properties have either been damaged or destroyed in the neighborhood.
And iconic landmarks such as Charter High School, which featured in the 1976 movie Carrie, have been gutted.
The Eaton Fire has torched almost 14,000 acres of land, according to official stats.
That particular blaze has not yet been contained.
But, the Lidia Fire has been 75% contained and torched only 394 acres of land.
The Kenneth Fire, which affects Los Angeles and Ventura counties, has not yet been contained.
At least 10 people have been killed, and the blazes have devastated thousands of properties, including celebrity enclaves.
More than 180,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.
'War zone' LA feels 'broken' as fires still ravage the city - but we will rebuild
EVERY year Los Angeles braces itself for wildfires. It is not uncommon to see flames torching the hills and even houses burning to the ground.
But many residents have never witnessed anything as devastating as this week. And it’s nowhere near over.
I spent time near Pacific Palisades, where thick smoke filled the air, and saw desperate families fleeing the city while others begged police to give them access to their properties as roads were blocked off.
“Everything is gone” was heard many times, as thousands of people were left homeless and with few possessions.
I was lucky to only have the power go out in my home, but I’ll never forget what I witnessed traveling throughout the city.
It was like a war zone.
During a visit to a shelter, I spoke with a resident who has lived in his home for almost 30 years and is battling cancer. He stayed long after he was told to pack up and go.
It was only when flames began leaping around his building that he finally gathered his belongings and ran out.
I reported from Altadena, where buildings were still engulfed in flames, and few fire trucks were in sight as emergency services were overwhelmed.
Cars and school buses were completely torched, and heartbroken families stood around in shock, not being able to process what had happened.
As the sun went down, I drove back home towards the city center, which I felt was safe, until I saw orange flames leaping behind buildings just minutes from my house.
I felt sick. I’ve never known wildfires so close to Hollywood, and suddenly, phones were blaring with emergency notifications to evacuate the area.
Traffic lights and street lamps were out, and areas filled with fallen trees from the strong winds became gridlocked.
I feel extremely lucky I live minutes outside of the evacuation zone, but friends panicked and fled their homes.
Although many worldwide will merely shrug when they hear wealthy people have lost their homes, the reality is very different.
The city as a whole feels broken, everyone from single mothers to elderly people have been through hell.
And people are angry.
Dozens have spoken of their insurance policies being canceled just months before the fires, while others are reeling over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
They may be angry. But they are also hopeful. The people of Los Angeles are made of strong stuff.
We will get through this. And we will rebuild.
Fox Sports star Emmanuel Acho filmed himself navigating the traffic-choked streets of Los Angeles as fires raged in the Hollywood Hills.
A-listers such as Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and James Woods were forced to evacuate.
‘WORST EVER’ FIRES
Robert Luna, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, described the blazes as a crisis.
He said part of the city looked as if a bomb had been dropped on them.
It’s estimated that the damage of the blazes could be up to $150 billion.
Government officials have not revealed an official figure.
Officials have warned that the Kenneth Fire, which is burning on the outskirts of Calabasas, could spread.
One suspect has since been arrested on suspicion of arson.
The wildfires have sparked a dramatic response effort, with local, state, and federal teams working to mitigate the blazes.
More than 1,000 firefighters have been deployed in California.
However, teams from Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Arizona have also been drafted to help with the efforts.
President Joe Biden described the wildfires as the “worst ever” blazes to hit the city of Los Angeles.