Melanie Griffith’s fears as mum Tippi Hedren’s animal sanctuary hit by wildfire

Melanie Griffith asked people to pray for her actress mother Tippi Hedren after her animal sanctuary was evacuated due to the Calfornia “Sand Fire”.
Since it began last week (end24Jul16) the rampaging wildfire has destroyed at least 18 homes near the city of Santa Clarita, California, including the Sable Ranch, used as the backdrop to a number of films and TV shows such as 24, The A-Team and Mel Brooks historical comedy Robin Hood: Men In Tights.
Late on Sunday (24Jul16) Melanie Griffith revealed her panic on Twitter after receiving the news that the Shambala Preserve, an animal sanctuary which is still run by her 86-year-old mother 33 years after she founded it, would be evacuated.
“Please say a prayer for all residents in the path of the #SandFire. My Moms (sic) place Shambala is being evacuated,” Melanie wrote, before begging others to share information about the fire.
“If anyone has info on #SandFire on Soledad Cny (Soledad Canyon Road). Please share!! My Moms at (the address) 6867,” she asked.
Finally, she revealed her mother, who famously starred as Melanie Daniels in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic The Birds, and her animals were fine, writing, “Mom is safe! Shambala is safe. Now sending love and thanks to all the firefighters who saved her and the cats….”
340 of the 400 animals kept at the reserve were evacuated, according to editors at The Hollywood Reporter.
Tippi began raising endangered big cats when filming her 1981 movie Roar, a passion project which also involved her then husband Noel Marshall and Melanie.
She founded the Roar Foundation in 1983 to help raise funds for the upkeep of the Shambala Reserve and has become a prominent animal rights activist as well as caring for her own animals at the sanctuary.
The blaze, which at the time of WENN going to press has ripped through an estimated 34 miles of brush land near Santa Clarita and is believed to be growing in size.
California authorities have reportedly found one dead body around the scene of the fire, which is being battled by nearly 1,700 firefighters and has caused around 1,600 homes to be evacuated.