MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) - Rob Lowe says he and his children fled a wildfire raging in California with just minutes to spare.

The 44-year-old actor said Friday in a telephone interview with local station KABC-TV that the entire mountain around his Montecito home was on fire and flames were shooting 200 feet in the air. The actor says his home was ultimately spared, but as they left, the wind was blowing at 70 miles an hour and "it was just like Armageddon."

Lowe says he was watching football with his son Thursday night when his wife called to alert him. He says they didn't see any fire engines or police as they fled.

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