LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wildfires that ripped through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles forced many Hollywood stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods, to evacuate their homes.
California firefighters are tearing across the area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained early Wednesday.
The Pacific Palisades neighborhood is a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and memorialized 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 Tuesday night. “Small fires on both sides of the road as we approached (the Pacific Coast Highway).â€
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 canceled, the were announced via press release instead of at a live event and weekend events like the AFI Awards were preemptively scrubbed.
Here's how celebrities and entertainment companies are being impacted by the fires burning in and around Los Angeles:
Stars who have evacuated due to Palisades fire
Jamie Lee Curtis said Wednesday on Instagram that her family is safe, but she suggested her neighborhood 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.â€
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.â€
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 neighborhoods 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.â€
Film studios canceled 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
Universal Studios also canceled shooting for numerous series, including “Hacks,†“Ted Lasso†and “Suits LA.â€
The Walt Disney Co. closed its headquarters in Burbank, and canceled production on several series, including “Grey’s Anatomy†and “Doctor Odyssey.†ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!†which tapes in Hollywood, was canceled 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.
