Legendary Palisades High tennis coach Bud Kling lost his home in Palisades fire

Bud Kling, the Hall of Fame tennis coach at Palisades High School with 52 City Section titles between the boys’ and girls’ teams, said Friday he had lost his home to the Palisades fire. He had been a resident there for 43 years.

Even more heartbreaking, he had a private business selling Olympic Games collectibles. He had a collection of 19 Olympic torches.

“All gone,” he said Friday.

Kling, 77, said he returned home Tuesday morning after seeing smoke. All he was able to retrieve was his dog, three T-shirts, some shorts and tennis shoes before deciding to leave ahead of the big exodus of cars escaping the fire.

He drove through the neighborhood Friday and said it was devastating to see so many houses destroyed. He said Palisades High made it through the fire mostly intact.

He only wishes he had taken more time to retrieve belongings.

“There was so much more I would have packed,” he said.

He said many of his friends also lost homes.

“We’re a tight-knit community,” he said.

Kling said he is doing OK considering the traumatic experience the community has gone through.