Wildfire Burns Part of Neverland Ranch
A wildfire burned about 40 acres of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch on Friday and came within a quarter-mile of the main residence, officials said.
No structures had caught fire at the 2,500-acre estate, said Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Jeff Ross.
About 100 firefighters were battling the blaze along with water-dropping helicopters, he said.
Jackson, 47, has been living in the Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain since being acquitted of child molestation charges in June 2005.
In March, Jackson closed the main house at Neverland and laid off several employees.
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