Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch Imperiled by SoCal Wild Fire

Michael Jackson 's Neverland Ranch was threatened with foreclosure, but his Estate was able to step in and save it. The Estate now has a more formidable job against Mother Nature.

A seemingly unstoppable blaze is becoming perilously close to MJ's famous/notorious ranch in Santa Barbara County. It's called the Lake Fire, and it's caused a mad scramble with evacuations in its path.

The blaze has spread to more than 12,000 acres in areas thick with brush ... which in the heat of SoCal makes it more than problematic.

Neverland will be a backdrop for the soon-to-be-released MJ biopic, simply titled "Michael." The movie stars MJ's 27-year-old nephew Jaafar .

It looks like Neverland had a facelift for the flick, because the fairgrounds, including the rides, have been gussied up. Ditto the landscaping.

Fingers crossed.