Ricki Lake on the Destruction of Her Malibu Home by Fire: 'If It Can Happen to Us, It Can Happen Anywhere'

      Ricki Lake took on the role of executive producer for the new documentary Big Rock Burning to raise awareness about the heartbreak of losing a home to fire—an ordeal she has unfortunately faced twice.

      The former host of the Ricki Lake daytime talk show, as well as a documentarian and a veteran of four John Waters films, spoke at the Santa Fe International Film Festival to highlight David Goldblum’s documentary, which is being featured at the event.

      Lake and her husband, Ross Burningham, mentioned that she relocated to New York City after the fires in January devastated their dream home, where they had married in 2022. She expressed mixed feelings about the possibility of returning.

      Among the belongings she lost in the fire were the script for her acting debut in Waters’ 1988 Hairspray, as well as her dress, photo albums, and cherished items from her childhood. “I left behind books that we could have salvaged... my Hairspray script signed by all the actors when I was 18, along with my dress and photo albums from my grandparents, my yearbooks, and all my wonderful clothes I had collected over the years,” she shared. “I know they are just possessions, but I find myself almost in tears whenever I speak of it.”

      Nonetheless, she feels fortunate to have been able to move to New York, continuously expressing gratitude for what she has left despite the loss of her home. “We’re fortunate,” she stated. “We had insurance, and we didn’t have school-aged children in the house... We are among the lucky ones. But it remains a significant loss.”

      Lake had previously experienced a fire at a rental home in Malibu.

      “I rented a house in Malibu in 2010, and I inadvertently caused the fire,” she recounted. “It involved a decorative candle... it wasn’t my fault, but I lit something that ultimately caught fire.”

      That incident was frightening—“my two young boys and I escaped the house with only the clothes on our backs, and it was truly terrifying,” she recalled.

      However, the fire in January was even more devastating. Lake had spent over seven years working through the permitting and building processes to create what she believed would be her and her new husband's forever home. “We moved in on Valentine’s Day 2021 and had almost four years there; we got engaged and married there,” she reminisced.

      The engaging conversation at the cozy Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse evolved into a communal sharing session during the audience Q&A, where many attendees recounted their own experiences of escaping the Los Angeles fires or assisting friends and relatives in similar situations.

      The Palisades Fire that swept through the Santa Monica Mountains claimed the lives of 12 individuals, destroying nearly 7,000 structures. It was one of several significant fires that erupted simultaneously in Southern California in January, including the Eaton Fire, which resulted in 19 fatalities and over 9,000 buildings lost as it moved through areas like Altadena.

      Ricki Lake's connection to Big Rock Burning

      Ricki Lake's residence was just one canyon away from Big Rock, the neighborhood featured in Big Rock Burning, directed by David Goldblum. Goldblum lost his own home in the fire and interviewed his neighbors about their losses.

      One of the film’s aims, Goldblum shared with MovieMaker, is to understand what went wrong in January to avert future wildfires. In addition to being showcased in Santa Fe, it is also available on Vimeo.

      Lake joined the documentary as an executive producer at the suggestion of producer James Costa, who believed her involvement could raise the film's visibility.

      “This project is very close to my heart. It’s a beautiful and powerful film. In Malibu, we understood our vulnerability, but we never anticipated such destruction would occur. If it could happen to us, it could happen anywhere. I’m excited to lend my name and my story to this initiative.”

      Big Rock Burning was screened on Thursday at the Santa Fe International Film Festival, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. You can find more about our festival coverage here.

      Main image: Ricki Lake at the Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse as part of the Santa Fe International Film Festival. MovieMaker.