
Camille Grammer
Amanda Edwards/Getty ImagesThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Camille Grammer remembers the 2018 Ulsey fire that destroyed her house as the Pacific Palisades fire continues to rage in the greater Los Angeles area.
Gramatika, 56, talks to people on Saturday, Jan. 11, for the 2018 wildfire that burned more than 96,000 acres and destroyed 1,643 structures, including the reality star’s Malibu home — one of many homes destroyed at the time due to a lack of access to water. A similar situation is currently developing, as according to LA Timesfire hydrants in Pacific Palisades are running dry.
“This is what happened to my house and during the Ulsey firewhen firefighters got to the house, she went to the hydrant and didn’t have enough water pressure. So they couldn’t save the house,” Grammer said peoplerecalling her conversation with the fire chief back then. “He said, ‘I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do. We just don’t have water pressure. And they were very disappointed and they apologized and they did the best they could.”
Grammer also said that when firefighters discovered there wouldn’t be enough water to put out the flames, first responders began pulling her belongings from the home in an attempt to save as much as possible.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she said. “They just did it themselves, which was really nice because there was just no water pressure to save the house.”
She continued: “I really haven’t been able to sleep well, I keep thinking about my friends who have lost their homes. My heart is broken by the loss of communities and lives. It’s terrible. But then again, you never know if the winds pick up again and what direction they turn. It’s, you know, a waiting game.
Yanis Quinoneschief executive officer and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told LA Times that all water storage tanks in Pacific Palisades have run dry due to “huge demand” in the area.
“We pushed the system to the limit,” he told the outlet on Wednesday, January 8. “Four times normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which reduced our water pressure.”
As for Grammer, RHOBA The alum further praised the city’s “amazing” firefighters as they continued to battle the blazes. “They put their lives on the line all the time to save people, communities and homes, and they do the best they can in these terrible conditions,” she told People on Saturday.
“It’s really important in times like these when neighbors come together and communities come together to help each other,” she added.
Having experienced losing everything to a fire, Grammer also shared some important advice for people going through the same thing now.
“To me, having been through this, life is more important than your home,” she said. “If you’re safe, it’s your life, it’s your health, it’s important to be safe and healthy with your family and loved ones. As you can replace material objects, you can rebuild a home or find a new place to live, but a life – you cannot replace a life.