How is Abe Streep related to Meryl Streep? Family member says the actress “cut a car-size hole in the fence” to escape the L.A. fires

In a New York Magazine article published on January 28, Abe Streep, Meryl Streep's nephew, wrote about how the LA wildfires affected his community. Abe interviewed the residents of Los Angeles and the firefighters about their experience and how they plan to move forward.

Abe Streep is a writer and editor for multiple publications. He authored Brothers on Three: A True Story of Family, Resistance, and Hope on a Reservation in Montana. As per IMDb, he is the son of actress Maeve Kinkead and Harry Wilbur Streep III, Meryl Streep's younger brother.

Meryl Streep (C) and her brother Harry Streep (2nd L) walk a red carpet for 'Florence Foster Jenkins' during the 11th Rome Film Festival at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on October 20, 2016 in Rome, Italy. (Image via Getty)

Abe has won the 2019 American Mosaic Journalism Prize for writing about underrepresented communities. He has also won the Montana Book Award and the New Mexico-Arizona General Nonfiction Book Award.

In his New York Magazine article, he mentioned how his aunt, Meryl Streep, had to evacuate her home on January 8, but a fallen tree blocked her driveway. He wrote,

"My aunt Meryl Streep received an order to evacuate on January 8, but when she tried to leave, she discovered that a large tree had fallen over in her driveway, blocking her only exit."

He shared that the actress had to cut a hole in her fence to evacuate.

"Determined to make it out, she borrowed wire cutters from a neighbor, cut a car-size hole in the fence she shared with the neighbors on the other side, and drove through their yard to escape."

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Meryl Streep's nephew interviewed fellow actors Martin Short and Haley Joel Osment

Los Angeles Recovers From Historically Devastating Wildfires - Source: Getty

Abe Streep interviewed Meryl Streep's friend and Only Murders in the Building co-star Martin Short. Short spoke about how he witnessed the 1993 Malibu wildfire. Although the actor's home wasn't damaged in the LA wildfires, one of his sons lost his home to the fire.

When asked, Martin Short stated he would stay in Altadena, which was destroyed by the Eaton fire. Short said,

"I will definitely stay in my home."

Abe Streep also interviewed Haley Joel Osment, who is famous for acting in Forrest Gump and The Sixth Sense. Osment told Streep he lost 500 records as well as the piano his parents gifted him when he turned 18.

He also shared how the wildfires affected his father, who struggled with the loss of his home and belongings. Osment said he planned to rebuild his home in Altadena. He said:

"I have a bit of a fighter’s instinct."

According to The Guardian, the wildfires destroyed more than 50,000 acres of land and demolished more than 16,000 structures. At least 29 people lost their lives in the fires.

According to The Guardian's report on January 28, Dr. Clair Barnes of Imperial College London led the recent study that revealed that climate change caused the LA wildfires to become so destructive. Barnes said,

"Climate change increased the risk of the devastating LA wildfires. Without a faster transition away from planet-heating fossil fuels, California will continue to get hotter, drier, and more flammable."

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Many celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins, Tina Knowles, Jhene Aiko, Madlib, Anna Faris, Adam Brody, Miles Teller, Tyra Banks, etc., lost their homes in the LA wildfires.