Gossip Girl Star Samantha Rose Baldwin Risks Her Life in Wildfires to Save Her Cat

Gossip Girl actress Samantha Rose Baldwin, 26, shared her dramatic experience of running through fire and ashes to save her cat during the Palisades Fire.

Instead of escaping the dangerous flames, Baldwin bravely went back home to rescue her 10-year-old tortoiseshell cat, Kitty.

The actress, who appeared in season two of the Gossip Girl reboot from 2021 to 2022, faced heavy traffic as people fled for their lives. What should have been a 28-minute drive from West Hollywood to Pacific Palisades turned into a two-and-a-half-hour nightmare.

“When I got near my home, the traffic wasn’t moving. GPS said it would take two more hours, so I parked my car and ran,” Baldwin explained. “I ran for about 15 minutes on Sunset Boulevard until I reached my apartment.”

When she got inside, Baldwin found Kitty hiding in her couch after searching for 20 minutes. She wrapped Kitty in a blanket and put her in a cat carrier backpack.

“Once outside, the fire had moved closer, and I couldn’t get back to my car. I didn’t know where to go. The flames were everywhere,” she said.

The strong winds made the situation worse, blowing in smoke so thick she couldn’t see. Baldwin decided to run toward the ocean.

“I was running for my life with Kitty on my back and a suitcase rolling behind me,” Baldwin said. She dodged flaming branches and falling debris, comparing the experience to an action movie.

When she made it to the beach, Baldwin reunited with her dad, Michael, who had safely evacuated students from the school where he worked as a security guard.

“I called my mom to tell her I loved her. I wasn’t sure I’d make it,” Baldwin said. She met a family at the beach who told her law enforcement had told them to leave their car and run to the ocean.

Now staying with a friend in North Hollywood, Baldwin said Kitty is adjusting well. The cat often travels with her while she’s on set for movies and TV shows.

Baldwin also shared that Kitty has survived a disaster before. The cat came to her as a foster from a family affected by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

“My body aches like I’ve been run over. My chest and throat hurt from the smoke, but I’m so thankful to be alive, and that my dad and Kitty are safe,” she said.

The Palisades Fire began during a Santa Ana windstorm, which was called the strongest in a decade and “life-threatening” by the National Weather Service.

Firefighters in Los Angeles are overwhelmed, with reports of hydrants running dry and abandoned cars blocking roads. Off-duty firefighters were called in to help manage the multiple fires spreading from Altadena to Sylmar.

So far, two people have died, and thousands of homes and buildings have been destroyed.