As wildfires sweep through the Californian city of Malibu, one of the homes destroyed was the historic Castle Kashan, known as the Malibu Castle. Built in the 1970s, the castle was also home to a collection of priceless Elvis Presley memorabilia, including one of Elvis' cars.
Governor Schwarzenegger tonight proclaimed a state of emergency in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura due to more than 11 major wildfires.
Among them is the $17 million Hodge Castle, home to Elvis fan and daughter of an Iranian oil minister, Lilly Lawrence, which has been completely destroyed.
The home contained a priceless collection of family heirlooms and an enviable Elvis collection, housed in a rock 'n' roll room, decorated with a mural of the Graceland gates, a sofa made from the seat of a 1959 Cadillac and memorabilia purchased from Graceland which included Elvis Presley’s Army fatigues.
One of the few things the Princess was able to salvage from the castle was a pair of Elvis Presley's Army fatigues. But she did lose her other Elvis memorabilia -- including 32 original Elvis Presley movie scripts with his handwritten notes in the margins.
As fire took over, Lawrence managed to grab a few items including jewellery and Elvis’ army fatigues.
Fires are expected to engulf the area for several more days and former showgirl and girlfriend of Elvis Presley, Dorothy Harmony, also has an old beachfront residence in Malibu, which will certainly be under threat from the spreading fires.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, although fire officials were looking into the possibility that downed power lines played a role.
The castle was on the market with an asking price of $19 million, and a deal was expected to be closed this weekend. Owner Lilly Lawrence, daughter of an exiled Iranian oil minister and the goddaughter of Aristotle Onassis, was trapped inside her sprawling home with a house guest as the castle burned, the Los Angeles Times reports. Other Malibu landmarks lost to the raging fire is the Malibu Presbyterian Church and the Malibu Animal Hospital.
Fires Claim Elvis Collection
October 22, 2007 | Other Source:GoogleJumpin Jehosaphat wrote on
October 22, 2007
Iranian oil minister, oh gee maybe i ill lose 2 minutes sleep next year.
Cher wrote on
October 22, 2007
I don't think being the rich daughter of an oil magnet was really the point the article was making. No amount of money can replace the Elvis memorabilia that was lost and that, I believe, is the point of the article. So don't lose sleep over the poor little rich girl's losses to the fire but if you're an Elvis fan, you could be grieving the loss of the collection of Elvis memorabilia.
Devon wrote on
October 22, 2007
Im sorry for the fire, but not for her so called Elvis collection. It takes more then money to be a real Elvis fan!!!!!
jeremytcb wrote on
October 23, 2007
You don't feel sorry for her? Why, because she has money? When did that become a reason not to feel sorry for someone when something bad happens to them? Who said that money makes the fan anyway, uh nobody.
Dixieland Rock wrote on
October 23, 2007
Rich or poor, the fires are a tragedy to everyone affected by them, period. My prayer & hope is that the fires will be contained & put out quickly.
Mofoca22 wrote on
October 23, 2007
i never seen such cold hearted people. fire is fire it kills and destroys you if your rich or poor i wouldnt wish that on my woprst enemy. i pray for everyones safety more than material things that can all be replaced i heard during hurricane katrina elvis fatigues were ruined or something like that and they got repaired
ElvisO7 wrote on
October 23, 2007
My family lost a home to fire and let me tell you, THERE is nothing than can explain how you feel when *everything you own is GONE*. I don't care who she is, what she is, or what she has, LOSING that collection is downright *devastating* and unless you have been in there shoes, PLEASE have some compassion. Marilyn in Santa Rosa, CA
L,POOL KID wrote on
October 23, 2007
hey people,or some of you, are missing the point,it doesn't matter if your rich or poor,what matters is the lives that could be lost,thank goodness that this person is alive and safe.just because she is rich doesn't mean that she does not matter,elvis was rich,would we think the same of him.shame on those who think otherwise.
Jerome wrote on
October 23, 2007
glad they're doing okay. I read they're favourite song was Burning Love, Fire down below and Flaming Star, is that correct?..
Jerome wrote on
October 23, 2007
oh yeah ElvisO7-Marilyn in Santa Rosa, CA hope your family will do okay.
PaulFromFrance wrote on
October 23, 2007
She saved the Army fatigues, but the News say she did lose her other Elvis memorabilia, including 32 original Elvis Presley movie scripts with his handwritten notes in the margins. Too bad !
suzie wrote on
October 23, 2007
Our thoughts & prayers are with her in her personal loss in this tragic fire .We pray no one is hurt or loss of life during this.Concern of her Elvis collection is for her private loss.I know from experience how she must feel ;losing my business shop by fire Dec .2005 & 75 % was Elvis collectibles& new mdse. BUT still painful personally.People...be kind & compassionate. ELVIS was !!signing If I Can Dream Elvis In Al.....fan club
tk10 wrote on
October 23, 2007
hey i know how lilly feels. i lost a lot of original elvis pics tapes in 81 in a trailer house fire in arkinsas usa. it wouldnt be such a tuff battle today if i still had them. one thing that survived a memento from american sound studios is on ebay this week. its a lyrik elvis rehearsed with me and john christophers handwriting on it. just type in elvis songwriters on the uk ebay to view.
the colonel wrote on
October 24, 2007
man how awful that those scripts were lost especially with his written notes - just shows you that JEHOVAH GOD does not discriminate rich/poor, your day will come.
EspenK wrote on
October 25, 2007
"JEHOVAH GOD does not discriminate" - oh really, so he's being a bastard to everyone then? Or do you indicate that only the houses of those "who doesnt pray" was caught on fire?
Jumpin Jehosaphat wrote on
November 01, 2007
to cjkj. like she was going to share the stuff with the world. let her drink oil, rather see it lost that an oil people own it, what did they ever do for the working people of the world. (not that i have anything against wealth) first generation makes it, second is just lucky Sperm.