Since Tuesday, wildfires have ravaged different neighbourhoods in California, especially around the Los Angeles area.
The California wildfires have killed at least 10 people and destroyed some 10,000 homes and structures, local officials have said.
How have the wildfires affected Hollywood?
Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, America’s entertainment hub, and to many Hollywood celebrities. Many of these celebrities lost their houses in the fires.
The Sunset Fire, which broke out on Wednesday about 6pm (02:00 GMT), particularly affected Hollywood Hills. Its cause is under investigation, but it ravaged 17 hectares (42 acres) of land.
By midday on Thursday, Mayor Karen Bass reported that the Sunset Fire was contained.
Which celebrities lost their houses?
Billy Crystal: The 76-year-old American comedian and star of the 1980s iconic movie, When Harry Met Sally, lost the home that he has owned since 1979 in Pacific Palisades. Crystal and his wife, Janice, expressed sadness over losing the house in which they had raised their children and grandchildren. He said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday: “We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.”
Mel Gibson: The Mad Max star told NewsNation that his house had been destroyed while he was filming in Austin, Texas. He said: “It’s kind of devastating. It’s emotional. You know, you live there for a long time, and you had all your stuff. I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff, because it’s all in cinders.”
Jeff Bridges: A spokesman for the veteran actor was quoted by The Hollywood Reporter saying his home in Malibu had been burned down in the Palisades Fire.
Paris Hilton: The television personality and socialite’s Malibu beach mansion has burned down, also in the Palisades Fire. In posts on Instagram and X, Hilton wrote that she had watched the disaster unfold on live television. “The heartbreak is truly indescribable,” she wrote in an X post.
I’m standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.💔🥺 When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock—I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million… pic.twitter.com/mJcFjQVVX7
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) January 10, 2025
Cary Elwes: The Princess Bride actor also announced that his family home had been destroyed. He told his Instagram followers: “Sadly, we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire.”
Mandy Moore: The This Is Us star told Instagram followers that her family had evacuated their home in Altadena before it was badly damaged in the Eaton Fire. “I love you, Altadena. Grateful for my family and pets getting out last night before it was too late… Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled.”
Milo Ventimiglia: Another This Is Us star told CBS News that he and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, had lost their Malibu home. He said: “I think there’s a kind of shock moment where you’re going, ‘Oh, this is real and this is happening,’ and then at a certain point, we just turn it off. It’s like, what good is it to continue watching, you know. We kind of accepted the loss.”
Media outlets also reported that the homes of Leighton Meester, known for television show Gossip Girl and her husband, Adam Brody from The OC; Anthony Hopkins; John Goodman; Miles Teller from Top Gun Maverick; and Anna Faris from Scary Movie had also been damaged or destroyed by the fires. However, they have yet to publicly comment. The star of the Schitt’s Creek comedy series, Eugene Levy, who is also honorary mayor of the Palisades, was reported by local media as having lost his $3.9m property. His son, Dan Levy, posted: “Heartbroken for my family, my friends, and the people of LA affected by the catastrophic fires.” However, Eugene Levy himself has not confirmed the loss of his home.
Other celebrities announced that they have evacuated their homes. This includes model Chrissy Teigen and her husband, John Legend; James Woods; comedian Marc Maron; and actor Mark Hamill from Star Wars.
With firefighting resources running thin, residents in the close-knit suburb of Altadena are concerned that the resources will be allocated to neighbourhoods where A-listers reside, Reuters reported.
“You’re going to have some folks who are not going to get as much as they deserve, and some folks who may get more than actually they need,” Inez Moore, a lecturer at California State University told Reuters. Moore’s family home in Altadena was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
Has the Hollywood sign burned down?
Social media users have been sharing images of what looks like the iconic Hollywood sign engulfed in flames.
The sign is located in Griffith Park, which has been closed as a safety measure.
However, from what we know so far, the sign is secure and has not caught fire. Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust, told Reuters news agency via email on Thursday that the sign had not been affected.
Reuters reported that the images had likely been generated by AI software.
