Los Angeles, a sprawling city in Southern California and the center of the country’s film and television industry, or Hollywood, is battling massive wildfires, with several celebrities struggling to survive the fires in their homes. Not only are people evacuating waiting for information on whether or not the disaster occurred, but there are at least some deaths. Working with five people, they reduced many structures to rubble and leveled entire blocks.
The wildfire broke out Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, an upscale area of multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains. The wildfire has since spread to Eaton Canyon in Altadena, where firefighters are reportedly currently extinguishing three large, out-of-control blazes that have killed at least five people. Track live updates on the Los Angeles wildfires
Los Angeles wildfires | Photos What you need to know
How it all started: Two major wildfires broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction and chaos. The fire swept through Eaton Canyon in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, engulfing homes, causing evacuations and disrupting the lives of thousands of residents.
The Pacific Palisades fire started around 10:30 a.m. (local time) and quickly spread, consuming 4.6 square miles of land. Thick smoke filled the sky and was visible across the city, and some residents of Venice Beach, about 10 kilometers away, reported seeing flames on the horizon. By Wednesday, the fires had burned a total of about 42 square miles (108 square kilometers), an area roughly the size of the entire city of San Francisco, the Associated Press reported.
5 dead: The death toll from wildfires in the Los Angeles area has increased to five, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Thousands of firefighters are battling the blaze, but winds have temporarily halted water spraying from the air until planes can resume flying.
At least 70,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, but that number is rising as evacuation orders continue to be issued, officials cited in the Associated Press report said.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Malone said more than 1,000 structures had been destroyed and many people, including first responders, were injured in the fires by the time this report was last updated.
Footage of the devastation caused by the wildfires showed a luxury home destroyed in a swirl of glowing embers. Swimming pools turned black with soot and sports car tires were seen melting.
Thousands of people were evacuated to the Pacific Palisades area, where famous people live on hillsides along the coast, some of whom had to be rescued by wildfires. Hollywood stars including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods have had to evacuate their homes, and some are said to be waiting to hear if their homes survived the fire. .
Oscar nominations have also been postponed by two days to January 19, and the film academy has extended the voting period to accommodate members affected by the fire.
Other stars who call home in the area include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg.
Mandy Moore, whose home is in the Altadena neighborhood near Pasadena, said her family was evacuated and since then she has been trying to protect her children from the “immeasurable sadness and anxiety” she is currently feeling. “Honestly, I am shocked and stunned by the loss of so many people, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurant has been leveled. So many friends and loved ones lost everything,” she said in the post.
“So disappointed in the destruction and loss,” Moore wrote on her Instagram Story, adding, “I don’t know if our home was saved.”
Emmy and Golden Globe winner James Woods on Tuesday posted footage of flames roaring through bushes and palm trees on a hill near his home.
Another celebrity, Jamie Lee Curtis, suggested on Instagram Wednesday that her family is safe but that her neighborhood and home may be on fire. Many of her friends lost their homes, she said. “It’s a scary situation, but we’re grateful to all the firefighters and good Samaritans who are helping people escape the fire,” she said.
The Palisades fire also destroyed a historic ranch home owned by Hollywood legend Will Rogers. This was one of 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, was also destroyed.
