Out in the "Nick" of time
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) _ Actor Nick Nolte jumped out a window and used a hose to fight a fire that broke out in his Malibu home Tuesday, authorities said.
The 67-year-old actor scraped his arm and inhaled some smoke but was not hospitalized, said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Sam Padilla.
"He is seeing his private physician" for the injuries, he said.
The fire was reported at 11:34 a.m. at Nolte's secluded Bonsall Drive home. The electrical fire started in the living room, and Nolte smelled the smoke from an upstairs bedroom, said fire Inspector Frank Garrido.
The Sheriff's Department said Nolte broke a window to escape.
Garrido said he then grabbed a garden hose and tried to extinguish the fire.
It took firefighters about 26 minutes to douse the blaze, which damaged a portion of the home, Garrido said.
The fire caused about $3 million in total damage, half of it structural damage and half damage to the contents of the home, including "collectibles, artwork, the furniture," Garrido said.
Nolte's publicist, Arnold Robinson, said in an e-mail that there was no one was injured.
Nolte has appeared in such films as "The Prince of Tides," ''Affliction," ''Down and Out in Beverly Hills" and "Tropic Thunder."
madpoet (anonymous) says...
This is why they always say to call 911 and get out and let the firefighters do their job unless you know what you're doing. He must not have planned an exit route if he had to jump out a window. It sounds like Nolte panicked.
We had a fire years ago in our attic. We used fire extinguishers and water until the rural fire dept. could get out but we had a clear path to the door the entire time and the smoke was going outside. We did not panic but got our cat and wallets etc out first then worked to contain the fire until help arrived.
October 8, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )