For NCIS: Los Angeles alum Eric Christian Olsen and his wife, actress and entrepreneur Sarah Wright Olsen, the past few weeks have been marked by heartbreak—and resilience. Just three weeks after wildfires tore through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades, destroying the family’s longtime home, Sarah is choosing to focus on the kindness and love that has surrounded them.
On Instagram, Sarah opened up to fans about the emotional toll of losing their home of 13 years, but also about the incredible support they’ve received. Sharing a photo of a thoughtful care package from skincare brand Ursa Major, she admitted, “Thank you to my friends @ursamajorvt for this package that made me cry. Pockets of joy and so much gratitude.”
Another Story showed Eric, Sarah, and their three children—Wyatt (11), Esmé (8), and Winter (4)—alongside the family dog, taking a walk through what Sarah called their “new neighborhood.”
“This lil fam has been loved up in so many ways by so many ppl in the last few weeks,” she wrote. “The list of thank yous to friends and family is so long and we just feel so much gratitude.”
A Heartbreaking Loss
The couple first revealed the devastating news on Sarah’s Mother Daze Podcast Instagram account, where she shared photos of the charred remains of their family home.
“It’s impossible to put into words these last few days,” Sarah wrote. “We lost our home. We are together and safe and surrounded by love. Thank you to Uncle Dave and Aunt Dani who took in so many of us.”
Her post painted a picture of both grief and grace:
“It’s so hard to say goodbye to our gorgeous town, our special school and this place we have loved for 13 years. But we are so, so grateful we are together and for the outpouring of love. We have received so many messages from friends offering their homes, food, clothing, hugs, things for the kids, support—and we are just blown away. It’s what keeps making us tear up. Thank you, it means so much to us.”
A Community Reeling
The Olsens are among thousands of families affected by the devastating fires that began January 7, 2025. The Palisades and Altadena fires have already destroyed more than 12,300 structures and claimed at least 24 lives.
The Olsens’ story echoes that of many Hollywood stars who lost their homes in the blazes, including Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, Miles Teller, Anthony Hopkins, and Joshua Jackson. The devastation has sparked ongoing conversations about the safety and future of hillside living in Los Angeles.
Finding Light in the Darkness
For Eric, who played Special Agent Marty Deeks on NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 seasons, and Sarah, who balances acting, entrepreneurship, and her podcast, the past month has underscored what matters most.
While they’ve lost the house they built their family in, they’re holding tightly to each other, their children, and the support network that’s carried them through.
Or, as Sarah so perfectly summed it up: “Pockets of joy and so much gratitude.”
