An iconic museum hailed as “the world’s only” for “everything bunny” burned to the ground Wednesday during the devastating Eaton Fire that continues to burn in Southern California.
The Altadena Bunny Museum, which housed almost 50,000 bunny-related artifacts for nearly three decades, was one of more than 2,000 homes, businesses, and other buildings, to have perished or been damaged as Los Angeles experiences its most destructive firestorm in history.
A heartbroken and tearful Steve Lubanski, the co-owner of the museum, told KCAL News: “All of the old town, the iconic Altadena Old Town. Sorry…is gone.
“I mean seeing that it’s gone that will hit me in a while, you know.
“It took my wife and I almost 40 years to put it together – [it’s] the way it is, so we’ll go on.”
The Altadena Bunny Museum before (pictured top) and after the fires (pictured below), housed almost 50,000 bunny-related artifacts before it perished in the Eaton Fire blaze Wednesday – leaving the owners devastated (Google Street View/CBS News)
Lubanski, his wife Candace Frazee, and their pets, fortunately, went unharmed, but the Bunny Museum – a novelty location that the pair had worked on for decades – was completely singed by the blaze.
The couple previously revealed that the unique venture began in the early days of their relationship.
“I started calling Steve my honeybunny when were dating”, said Frazee in an interview with ITV’s This Morning.
As their love blossomed, Lubanski gifted his wife a “bunny in a giant balloon” for Valentine’s Day which Frazee said she loved. The tradition then spiraled as the pair would gift each other daily bunny–related paraphernalia as “a love token”, said Frazee. But, the couple like many others in LA, are now reeling from the loss of what they held most dear.
The Eaton fire, which erupted in the Altadena hills above Pasadena at roughly 18:30 local time Tuesday, grew to cover 1,000 acres within the first six hours of breaking out.
Steve Lubanski (pictured right) and his wife Candace Frazee (pictured left) previously told ITV’s This Morning that their museum venture stemmed from when Steve gave his Candace a bunny gift on Valentines Day (ITV)
By Wednesday evening, five deaths had been reported and it had spread to more than 10,000 acres.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, fire crews are currently tackling five fires.
While the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, and the Sunset Fire are at zero percent containment, firefighters have managed to contain 40 percent of the Lidia Fire, and 10 percent of the Hurst Fire.
But the devastating blaze continues to burn through much of Los Angeles and a new fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills Wednesday night, prompting further evacuation orders.
Countless have suffered injuries as a result, tens of thousands evacuated, and more than 450,000 people are reported to be without power.
Vital fire hydrants were reported to have buckled under the demands of the fires as water systems became overstressed, leaving several hydrants running dry Wednesday morning, reported the Associated Press.
LA Mayor Karen Bass called on residents to “conserve water to the extent that you can” as firefighters battle the historic blaze.
Adding “Make no mistake, Los Angeles will rebuild stronger than ever.”
