Kardashian, West donate US$500,000 to US wildfire relief efforts, Latest TV News - The New Paper
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Kardashian, West donate US$500,000 to US wildfire relief efforts

US reality TV star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West on Wednesday donated US$500,000 (S$686,200) to firefighters and victims of a massive Southern California wildfire that came close to destroying the celebrity couple's own multi-million-dollar mansion.

Kardashian, appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, said she and West hired private firefighters to protect their home and others in their neighbourhood in rural Calabasas, north of Los Angeles.

Kardashian, West and their three children were among thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes during the Woolsey Fire two weeks ago that spread into Malibu, destroying 1,500 buildings and killing three people.

Kardashian said the flames "got to our gate", adding: "We are still not in our home now. The smoke, the smell is too intense."

She said they felt blessed at being able to hire private firefighters.

"Our house is right on the end of a big park," she said. "We were able to get private firefighters... and they saved our home and saved our neighbourhood. I had them make sure they controlled every house on the edge, so it wasn't just our home."

Kardashian, West, his fashion company Yeezy and sportswear company Adidas, which makes his sneakers, donated US$400,000 to victims of the fire and to firefighters.

They donated another $100,000 to firefighter Michael Williams, who fought the blaze in his neighbourhood after escaping from his own burning home. - REUTERS

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