Wildfires that are burning in and around Los Angeles have burned the homes of several celebrities, including Steve Guttenberg, Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton.
California firefighters are battling wind-whipped fires tearing across the area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained Wednesday.
Actor Steve Guttenberg returns to once-lush neighbourhood
Steve Guttenberg awoke yesterday morning to a grim reality: The treacherous wildfire that tore through the Pacific Palisades had left his once-lush neighbourhood charred and unrecognisable.
With homes smouldered, streets emptied and friends scattered by evacuation orders, Guttenberg counted himself among the fortunate.
His property was miraculously spared. But the actor-producer still struggled to reconcile his relief with the haunting sight of his ravaged, once lavish community.
“Just this morning, I woke up and I was really conscious of my mental state and my mental health, because the last three days, I’ve seen so much tragedy,” said Guttenberg, pacing through the ruins of his neighbourhood.
He said his home has electricity but no running water.
Guttenberg thanked God that his block was safe, but he said about 20 homes were burned “pretty bad” in his 80-home community after wind-whipped fires tore across Los Angeles, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled as the fires burned uncontained on Wednesday.
Satellite image shows true devastation of fires
He said the fires are the worst he’s ever seen in his 66 years.
Guttenberg said he never expected all of this to happen.
“It’s like when someone dies suddenly,” he said.
“It’s like when someone gets hit by a car. You never expect that to happen. That’s how shocking it was.”
During Guttenberg’s stroll, it was an eerie scene with scorched palm trees, homes reduced to ash and rubble, and the daytime skies casted an ominous twilight over the devastation.
“I’ve seen people scared, people in wheelchairs, mothers and fathers trying to find their kids, people having anxiety and panic attacks,” said Guttenberg, who returned to his neighbourhood to help others who stayed behind with relief efforts.
He has helped move cars to clear the street, handed out food and assisted neighbours from out their homes.
“All these houses behind me burned to the ground where their families enjoyed wonderful times together with their friends and family,” said Guttenberg while pointing at one charred home before dropping his head in sadness.
“There’s really a lot of pain going on right now. I’m doing whatever I can to help alleviate it.”
For those looking to help, Guttenberg suggested starting with a simple call or text to ask displaced neighbours what they might need like food, supplies or emotional support.
He also encouraged those who can return to their homes, if safe, to check on their property and assist others in assessing the damage.
Guttenberg, the star of films like Short Circuit, Police Academy and Three Men and a Baby, is unsure how the film and TV industry will able to help during the beginning of awards season.
“Everybody’s gonna do what regular people do: Help each other, give each other food and water, help each other in their backyards, in their front yards,” he said.
“Even though somebody’s an actor, producer, writer, director, we’re all just people. .. Maybe people can donate at one point to some sort of fund. But I just think, be a good neighbour right now.”
When asked about the timeline for his neighbourhood’s recovery, Guttenberg thinks it could take anywhere from five to 10 years to rebuild and fully heal.
“It’s going to be a lot of work,” he said.
“It’s going to be unbelievable to try to rebuild this. Rebuild all the beautiful trees, homes and retail shops and lifestyle. The psychology of it all, it’s going to take a long time.”
Mandy Moore visits Altadena home
“Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livrable but mostly intact,” Moore wrote. She added that they lost their garage and back house to the fire.
“Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone. My in laws. My brother and sister in law- 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends,” she wrote. “Feeling weird survivors guilt. We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support.”
The photos that Moore shared show her husband Taylor Goldsmith, who is a musician in the band Dawes, walking through a field of debris on what appears to be their lawn. Some of the debris piles looked like they were still producing smoke.
Crystal and his wife, Janice, released a statement Wednesday saying their home of 45 years in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood was lost.
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this,” the Crystals wrote in the statement.
California firefighters are battling wind-whipped fires tearing across the area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained.
The Pacific Palisades neighbourhood is a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and memorialised by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit “Surfin’ USA.” In the frantic haste to get to safety, roadways became impassable when scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some toting suitcases.
“Evacuated Malibu so last minute,” wrote Hamill in an Instagram post on Tuesday night. “Small fires on both sides of the road as we approached (the Pacific Coast Highway).”
Less than 72 hours before, Hollywood’s highest-wattage stars had convened to walk the Golden Globes’ red carpet, the first major event of the exuberant and, for many, triumphant awards season. The revelry of awards season had quickly been snuffed out, too: Premieres of contenders like Better Man and The Last Showgirl were cancelled, the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced via press release instead of at a live event and weekend events like the AFI Awards were preemptively scrubbed.
The Oscar nominations are also being delayed two days to January 19 and the film academy has extended the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires.
Here’s how celebrities and entertainment companies are being impacted by the fires burning in and around Los Angeles:
Stars who lost homes in the wildfires
Cary Elwes, the star of The Princess Bride and numerous other films, wrote on Instagram that his family was safe but their home had burned in the coastal Palisades fire. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” Elwes wrote.
Hilton posted a news video clip on Instagram and said it included footage of her destroyed home in Malibu.
“This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London,” she said, referencing her young children.
“The devastation is unimaginable. To know so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking,” she wrote.
Stars who have evacuated due to Palisades fire
Jamie Lee Curtis said on Instagram that her family is safe, but she suggested her neighbourhood and possibly her home is on fire. She said many of her friends lost their homes.
“It’s a terrifying situation and I’m grateful to the firefighters and all of the good Samaritans who are helping people get out of the way of the blaze.”
Other stars who have homes in the area include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
Many are awaiting word on whether their homes survived the flames.
Mandy Moore said her family evacuated too and has since tried to shield her kids from the “immense sadness and worry” that she currently feels.
“So gutted for the destruction and loss,” she posted in her Instagram story. “Don’t know if our place made it.”
Woods posted footage Tuesday of flames burning through bushes and past palm trees on a hill near his home. The towering orange flames billowed among the landscaped yards between the homes.
“Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate,” Woods said in the short video on X. Later, he confirmed he had evacuated and added: “It tests your soul, losing everything at once, I must say.”
Impact of the fire so far
Officials didn’t give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the wildfire, but they said at least 70,000 residents were under evacuation orders and nearly 30,000 structures were under threat.
The fire burned down Temescal Canyon, a popular hiking area surrounded by dense neighbourhoods of multimillion-dollar homes. Flames jumped famous Sunset Boulevard and burned parts of the Palisades Charter High School, which has been featured in many Hollywood productions including the 1976 horror movie Carrie, the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday and the TV series Teen Wolf.
The Palisades fire also destroyed the historic ranch house that belonged to Hollywood legend Will Rogers.
It was among multiple structures destroyed at both Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park. The historic Topanga Ranch Motel, built by William Randolph Hearst in 1929, also burned down.
Rogers’ ranch, built on land he bought in the 1920s, occupied some 359 acres in what is now Pacific Palisades. It included a 31-room ranch house, a stable, golf course and riding trails. His wife donated it to California State Parks in 1944.
The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed until February 26.
Film studios cancelled two movie premieres due to the fire and windy weather, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park closed for the day due to the smoky and windy conditions and the J. Paul Getty Trust said two of its museums, the Getty Villa and Getty Center, would remain closed for the next few days.
Universal Studios also cancelled shooting for numerous series, including Hacks, Ted Lasso and Suits LA.
The Walt Disney Co. closed its headquarters in Burbank, and cancelled production on several series, including Grey’s Anatomy and Doctor Odyssey. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! which tapes in Hollywood, was cancelled for Wednesday and will instead air a repeat.
The production pauses added to further disruptions to the film and TV industry in Los Angeles, including the cancellation of the premiere to Universal’s Wolf Man and postponement of the American Film Institute awards gala, scheduled for Friday.