Ricki Lake had to flee her Los Angeles home on Saturday after it caught fire with her and her children inside.
The TV host, her two sons, Milo, 13, and Owen, nine, and their dog managed to escape the blaze unharmed, but their rented wooden beachfront home in Malibu and everything inside were lost.
The fire is believed to have started after Ricki tried to refill a portable heater in the rented home, resulting in the sofa catching alight.
Lieutenant Rich Erickson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said: "It appears that a couch caught fire and that set the whole house ablaze."
Ricki, 41, and her family were standing outside the property when fire-fighters arrived to quell the flames, but unfortunately they were too late to save anything.
The fire crew also had to cut into the gates of Ricki's neighbours to prevent the blaze from spreading.
The 'Hairspray' actress later took to her twitter page to express her thanks to her fans and well-wishers for their messages of support and concern for her and her children.
