Kate Beckinsale flees wildfires with all her pets

Kate Beckinsale refused to leave her pets behind as she fled her Los Angeles home in the early hours due to spreading wildfires.

The Underworld actress thanked her friends for coming to her rescue when her neighbourhood was evacuated at 3am, as she can’t drive and has four pets - including an epileptic cat - which she insisted on bringing with her.

Beckinsale, 46, wrote on Instagram: “We are safe. Thank you so much to everyone who checked in. Sending love and hope to everyone else who walked out of their house at 3 am to this, love and admiration to the @losangelesfiredepartment and most of all to David and Dorothy who didn’t need to remember in the middle of the night that I can’t drive but did.

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“And to everyone who has offered me a place to stay despite my rolling with four animals including an epileptic cat. Angel people . So grateful x”

The British actress has two Persian cats - Clive, who is very old and a cancer survivor, and Willow, two - who often feature on her Instagram account, as well as two lapdogs named Ingrid and Myf.

Beckinsale - who has a 20-year-old daughter Lily from her relationship with Good Omens star Michael Sheen - has lived in Hollywood for over a decade.

The Widow star was one thousands of Los Angeles residents who were ordered to evacuate their homes as wildfires spread quickly through the city.

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The Getty Fire broke out near the Getty Centre art gallery and spread close to the homes of the rich and famous living near by.

Actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, 72, was also among those forced to flee in the middle of the night.

He tweeted: “We evacuated safely at 3:30 this morning. If you are in an evacuation zone, don’t screw around. Get out. Right now I am grateful for the best firefighters in the world, the true action heroes who charge into the danger to protect their fellow Californians.”

A state-wide emergency has been declared in California as wildfires continue to rage in several areas.

NBA basketball star LeBron James also revealed he and his family had been evacuated, writing: “Man these LA aren’t no joke. Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms.”

Actress Rita Wilson, wife of Tom Hanks, and comedian Jimmy Kimmel were among those who tweeted to applaud the work of the Los Angeles Fire Department.