Destroying 1.3 million acres of land, the California wildfires of 2017, were some of the most destructive in the US state’s history. Just one month after the blazes subsided, a series of mudflows struck.
Actor Rob Lowe found himself caught in the midst of both events.
“Twenty three people were killed in my little town,” he recalls solemnly. “The area I live in suffered major wildfires and flash flooding. During that time, all of the first responders were staged in my driveway, in my garage; I helped house them and I watched, firsthand, what they did, how they did it.”
A harrowing experience that saw flames come within a quarter of a mile of Lowe’s home, the fires were not the first he and his family had seen.
“A few years before that, there was a wildfire about a mile away, and we had friends who were trapped in their house,” continues Lowe. “We took our truck and knocked the gate down so they could get out. Embers were falling into our clothes as we did it.”
With the fires coinciding with preparation for Lowe’s on-screen role as New York firefighter Owen Strand in drama 9-1-1: Lone Star, research does not get much more immersive.
Centred around the fire, police and ambulance departments of fictional company 126, the series also stars Liv Tyler. Drawing from his encounters with Californian fire services, it’s a scenario the actor felt well prepared for.
“I saw what amazing heroes they are and what terrible conditions they deal with, day in and day out,” says Lowe, 57.
Best known for his roles in Parks And Recreation, The West Wing and St Elmo’s Fire, you’d be forgiven for thinking that exposure to all manner of stress, elements and near-death disasters – both on and off-screen – might have taken their toll.
However, Lowe’s remarkably youthful appearance continues to intrigue.
“Since I was 15, I’ve gone into hair and make-up every day of my life,” says Lowe with a smirk. “People moisturise me and they put sunscreen on me, and they do all of those things I would never have done for myself, and you start to see the difference. That’s a big part of it.”
It’s something the star also attributes to the fact he no longer drinks or takes drugs, declaring: “I did plenty of that in my 20s – it was fun while it lasted.
“Youth is a function of our spirit, as we’ve all met 30-year-olds who seem world-weary, and we’ve met 80-year-olds who seem almost childlike.
“So, at the end of the day, I think it’s, ‘How young is your spirit?’ And I think mine is a teenager who is not giving up.”
9-1-1: Lone Star, Disney+ from Friday
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