Tom Petty never came off as the kind of guy who deserved bad things. He’s been hailed as a solid dude by his contemporaries and fans alike, both before and after his passing in 2017. So, it was particularly tragic when Tom Petty’s house was burned down on May 17, 1987. Unless you’ve experienced something similar, it’s hard to imagine just how devastating the fire was to Petty and his family.
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On this day in 1987, Petty’s home in Encino, California caught fire. Miraculously, everyone inside was able to escape more or less unharmed. Petty ensured his family, including his wife and daughter, escaped the flames before he crawled out from the inferno himself. Their family housekeeper was also able to escape with the family that morning, though she sustained some burns to her hair and hands. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
Tom Petty and His Family Narrowly Escaped With Their Lives When an Arsonist Burned Their Home Down
Petty’s home was reduced to ash in just a matter of an hour. One would think the fire was caused by a wildfire, or possibly a lit cigarette that wasn’t put out properly. On the contrary, an arsonist was behind the terrible tragedy.
After police arrived on the scene, it was determined that the fire had been intentionally started. Petty was particularly alarmed by the thought that a person was out to kill him and his family, and had caused nearly $1 million in damages.
Even though the culprit was never caught, there was a silver lining to the incident. Firefighters who arrived on the scene were able to save Petty’s basement studio, as well as the tapes he had stored there. While his famed top hat was unfortunately destroyed, his Gibson Dove guitar was saved.
After the fire burned down Tom Petty’s house, his family moved into a local hotel and immediately began to rebuild. Thankfully, Petty’s contemporaries and community stepped in to help. Annie Lennox, who was staying next door to Petty’s home when the fire occurred, gave the family clothes and essentials.
Petty decided to continue with his then-upcoming tour with Bob Dylan, this time with his family joining him for the trek. He used music to deal with the trauma of the ordeal. In fact, the ordeal inspired his 1989 Full Moon Fever track, “I Won’t Back Down”. The lyrics of the song bravely declared that the world wouldn’t drag Petty down, and he would continue to stand his ground. Petty did exactly that, and eventually was able to rebuild his house.
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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