Primus guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde is among the many Southern California residents who have tragically lost their homes due to the overwhelming devastation caused by recent wildfires. These natural disasters have left an indelible mark on the community, affecting numerous families and individuals in the area.

In a heartfelt message posted on Instagram, Les Claypool, the bassist and frontman of Primus, shared the heartbreaking news of LaLonde’s loss. “All that is left of our good friend Ler Lalonde’s home,” Claypool wrote, accompanying his message with a poignant image showing the remnants of a home, with only the chimney still standing. “When Mother Nature gets up on her hind legs, it can be brutal. My heart hurts for him and his family.”

LaLonde has been an integral part of Primus since 1989, contributing his unique guitar skills to each of the band’s nine studio albums throughout his illustrious career. In a separate post, the guitarist’s wife, Shane, shared a devastating video capturing the destruction of their neighborhood, highlighting the widespread impact of the fires.

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“Our home is gone, and so are the homes of every one of our friends and neighbors. I am still in shock, not quite sure what just happened,” she expressed in part. “We lost everything. It doesn’t sink in easily that you have nothing…. It’s still sinking in minute by minute. While I know we are safe and I am grateful for that, I can’t even begin to approach grace yet as I am still trying to comprehend this loss. It’s not just the material possessions, but our entire town, our community. We all no longer have a home, a neighborhood, a school, a sense of community. I am gutted to the core.”

Other musicians affected by the devastating fires include Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Anthrax‘s Scott Ian, and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, all of whom have communicated with their fans about the need to evacuate their homes due to the encroaching flames.

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Gallery Credit: UCR Staff