Gyllenhaal Sibs Flee Fire

Thu., Dec. 28, 2006 7:58 PM PST by Natalie Finn

If only the Gyllenhaal siblings' careers were all that was on fire these days.

Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal were forced to evacuate the rustic Northern California lodge they were staying at Wednesday when a fire broke out in the chilly early morning hours, the Marin Independent Journal reported.

The fire destroyed the main building at Manka's Inverness Lodge, as well as the getaway's acclaimed restaurant, but no injuries were reported from either the staff or the hotel's dozen or so guests.

"Jake was helping me pull things out of the fire," Daniel DeLong, who co-owns Manka's with partner Margaret Grad, told the Journal.

The Brokeback Mountain star and his sister have been frequent guests at the two-story wooden lodge, which also boasts private cabins for those seeking extra privacy. In addition to the Gyllenhaal family, the onsite restaurant counts Prince Charles and Frances McDormand and hubby Joel Coen among its high-profile clientele.

A posting on the lodge's Website said that, although the main house and restaurant are closed until further notice, the surrounding cabins, annex and boat house are still open.

Officials said that the fire was first reported at 2:43 a.m. by next-door neighbor Judy Prokupek, who said that she heard a tree fall a few minutes before seeing a small fire in the back of the lodge and guests running out.

Including Jake, 26, and Maggie, 29, who braved the wind and rain along with all of the other people who had no idea that they'd be out in the cold at 3 a.m.

"They weren't dressed to come out," Prokupek told the Journal, referring to the shivering crowd in general. "It was early."

Firefighters from Marin County, Inverness, Bolinas and Skywalker Ranch responded to the call and prevented the blaze from spreading to any nearby structures, eventually containing it by 7:30 a.m.

Investigators said that the fire was most likely caused when a large rotten tree smashed into the back corner of the building, near a water heater.

No word on whether the Gyllenhaals cut their vacation short, stayed put or moved on to another locale, or whether they were accompanied by any other family members, such as Maggie's almost-three-month-old daughter with fiancé Peter Sarsgaard. The actress is up for a Golden Globe next month for her role in the drama Sherrybaby.