Wildfires Sweep Through Los Angeles, Bringing Chaos to Hollywood
Raging wildfires have swept through affluent neighborhoods in Los Angeles, consuming homes, threatening iconic landmarks, and bringing the heart of the film industry to a standstill. Numerous film events have been canceled or postponed.
Anthony Marrone, Chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, reported on Wednesday that two people have died, and over 1,000 structures have been destroyed.
Actor Mark Hamill shared on Instagram that he “evacuated Malibu at the last minute, with small fires on both sides of the road,” calling it “the most terrifying fire” he had witnessed since the 1993 Malibu fires.
Reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, known for The Hills, confirmed on Snapchat that they lost their home to the fire consuming the Pacific Palisades community.
Singer and actress Mandy Moore stated on her Instagram story that she had evacuated safely with her children, dog, and cat. She expressed heartbreak over the destruction and loss caused by the fires.
Canadian actor Eugene Levy, the honorary mayor of the Pacific Palisades community, told The Los Angeles Times that he had to flee through dense smoke.
From the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, at least four separate fires continue to burn across the metropolitan area, fueled by strong winds. Around 70,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate.
James Woods, known for The Virgin Suicides and Disney’s Hercules, shared several videos of the fire before evacuating, including footage of flames crackling at a neighbor’s home. Woods recounted in an interview on Wednesday that his family evacuated within 17 minutes, “with just the clothes on our backs.” He alerted firefighters to check on a 94-year-old neighbor, who was later rescued just an hour before his house was engulfed in flames.
“This is the most unbelievable fire anyone has ever seen,” he said, choking up as he described how firefighters saved his neighbor from what would have been a lonely death.
Critics’ Choice Awards Postponed, Film Premieres Canceled
As the fires rage on, a wave of cancellations has swept through Los Angeles’ film and television events.
The Critics’ Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed to January 26. The event will still take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
The American Film Institute (AFI) announced the postponement of its annual awards luncheon, stating, “Given the widespread tragedy in Los Angeles, the sense of community we strive for at the AFI Awards will not be possible on Friday.”
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations were released via press release on Wednesday after a planned live announcement hosted by actors Joey King and Cooper Koch was canceled due to the fires.
Amazon canceled the premiere of Jennifer Lopez’s Unstoppable. Universal Pictures called off the global premiere of Blumhouse’s horror film The Wolfman scheduled for Tuesday night, and Paramount scrapped Wednesday night’s premiere of the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man. The premiere of Max’s upcoming medical drama Pete and Thursday’s premiere of The Last Showgirl, scheduled by Roadside Attractions, were also canceled.
Homes belonging to the wealthy and famous aren’t the only properties under threat. Iconic film locations, such as the Topanga Ranch Motel, known for appearing in over a dozen films, are also in jeopardy, according to local media reports. The Associated Press stated that numerous television productions have been halted. Universal Studios has suspended filming for shows such as Hacks and Suits: Los Angeles, while Walt Disney canceled productions for several series, including Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor.
Residents Mourn
Pacific Palisades, a star-studded hillside community with a median home listing price of $4.6 million, has been the backdrop for numerous movies and TV shows and was celebrated by the Beach Boys in their iconic surf songs.
“My community, and possibly my home, is on fire,” Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis wrote on Instagram, adding that while her family was safe, many of her friends might lose their homes in “horrific circumstances.”
Other celebrities with homes in the area include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg.
Derek Hough, a star of Dancing with the Stars, shared on Threads that his family packed and evacuated on Tuesday as winds reached around 100 mph. He thanked “incredible firefighters risking everything to keep us safe.”
The impact of the wildfires is felt across the city.
Canadian actor Shaun Majumder, known for his role in This Hour Has 22 Minutes, shared a video on Instagram showing the strong winds still sweeping through Los Angeles. Officials stated that the winds made flying firefighting aircraft too dangerous, severely hindering the response.
“There’s an eerie vibe in Los Angeles right now,” Majumder said, adding that while there were no fires near his home, the area had plenty of dry kindling, likening it to a “powder keg.
