Mel Gibson is rebuilding the palatial Malibu estate that burned down in the LA wildfires

In the wake of the catastrophic January wildfires that scorched Southern California, claiming 29 lives and $385 billion in damages, actor and director Mel Gibson is undertaking a significant reconstruction effort on his Malibu estate.

The 69-year-old Oscar winner’s 5.4-acre property, originally acquired for $11.5 million in 2008, was reduced to ashes in the blazes that destroyed more than 12,000 structures across the region.

The sprawling hilltop residence — once a showcase of rustic elegance with five bedrooms, five bathrooms — and sweeping Pacific Ocean views is rising anew as Gibson opts to rebuild rather than sell. That’s a choice that sets him apart from many neighbors in this affluent enclave, according to the Daily Mail.

Aerial images show the progress that Gibson has already made.

(Gibson purchasedthe estate for $11.5 million in 2008.AMNESTY FOR BRASIL. / BACKGRID)

(Video footage from News Nation showing the destruction of Gibson’s home.)

Gibson, worth $425 million, has cleared the 5.4-acre hilltop site, with new foundations and paving laid for reconstruction, new aerial photos reveal.Alex Lima / BACKGRID

The fires, among the costliest natural disasters in US history, obliterated entire neighborhoods of multimillion-dollar homes.

Gibson, whose net worth is estimated at $425 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, was recording a podcast with Joe Rogan when he learned his home was in peril.

He rushed back with his son, salvaging only passports and a handful of documents.

“These are things and they may or may not be replaceable but we’re still here and I just kind of look at it in a weird kind of a way like a purification,” Gibson told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, reflecting on the loss of irreplaceable items, including 16th-century books and valuable artworks.

The recent aerial images reveal progress at the site: debris has been cleared, foundations are taking shape and new paving surrounds the construction zone, including the former pool house area, to facilitate rebuilding.

(Unlike many neighbors who chose to sell their damaged properties, Gibson is moving forward with the rebuild, despite losing priceless artworks and 16th-century books in the fire.Alex Lima / BACKGRID)

(He learned of the destruction while recording with Joe Rogan and managed to save only passports and a few documents, later describing the loss to Fox News as a “purification.”AMNESTY FOR BRASIL. / BACKGRID)

(Remains of the house and a charred car are seen on the grounds of Gibson’s Malibu property.Alex Lima / BACKGRID)

The original estate, marketed in 2019 for $14.49 million before Gibson withdrew the listing, featured soaring ceilings with exposed beams, large windows, a separate guest house, a gym and an outdoor dining area nestled amid lush greenery.

Ref: Mel Gibson is rebuilding the palatial Malibu estate that burned down in the LA wildfires

Photo Credit- Alex Lima / BACKGRID, AMNESTY FOR BRASIL/BACKGRID