A swiftly spreading wildfire recently erupted in the Hollywood Hills, putting one of Los Angeles’ iconic landmarks at risk. This blaze is just one of four major fires across the region, which have collectively resulted in five deaths, prompted evacuation orders for 130,000 people, and wreaked havoc from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena.
The Sunset Fire is actively burning near the Hollywood Bowl, only a mile from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Around Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds, traffic is heavily congested, accompanied by frequent sirens and helicopters flying low to combat the flames with water drops.
On the streets, people, including tourists with suitcases, are on foot; some are drawn towards the fire, filming the event on their phones.
Although the winds subsided on Wednesday, the remnants of the previous day’s hurricane-force winds, which propelled embers across neighborhoods, were still evident. An influx of firefighters from neighboring states has joined the battle, but the ongoing fury of the four uncontained fires underscores the continuing threat.
Several local schools have suffered damage or been destroyed, including Palisades Charter High School, a frequent backdrop for film and television productions such as the film “Carrie” and the series “Teen Wolf.” UCLA has announced the cancellation of classes for the entire week.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that aerial efforts were actively suppressing the flames, cautioning that the winds remained unpredictable, though less severe than those that grounded planes and fueled widespread destruction the previous night.
In Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin reported the loss or damage of between 200 and 500 structures due to the Eaton Fire, which ignited on Tuesday evening.
He noted that the city’s firefighting efforts were hindered by a strained water system and power outages, but the intense winds would have overwhelmed their capabilities regardless.
“Those erratic wind gusts were throwing embers for multiple miles ahead of the fire,” he said.
A severe fire in the Pacific Palisades obliterated entire neighborhoods, leveling structures including grocery stores and banks. This area, known for its celebrity residences and immortalized by the Beach Boys, witnessed unprecedented destruction.
The Palisades Fire stood as one of the most devastating events in the history of Los Angeles, with over a thousand structures destroyed.
As the scale of destruction became apparent, entire neighborhoods of California Mission Style homes and traditional bungalows lay in ruins, marked only by remnants of stone fireplaces and blackened archways.
Among the remnants, twisted iron railings encircled the remains of one house, with scenes of devastation extending for miles.
Jose Velasquez, a local resident, managed to protect his Altadena home, which doubles as a churro business, by dousing it with water as embers fell. Not everyone in his community was as fortunate, with many losing their homes while away at work.
In response to inquiries from absent neighbors about their homes, Velasquez and others had to deliver the unfortunate news that many structures were gone.
As residents in the wider area donned N95 masks to filter the pervasive smoke, the community struggled to cope with the aftermath.
Notably, several celebrities, including Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, and Paris Hilton, reported losing their homes.
Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, mourned the loss of their home in the Palisades Fire, a place filled with decades of family memories and love.
The village center in Palisades lost its library, grocery stores, banks, and several shops, leaving residents like Dylan Vincent, who returned to find his elementary school and neighborhood obliterated, in shock.
The fires collectively scorched an area nearly as large as San Francisco, covering about 42 square miles.
The intensity of the flames left little opportunity for escape, with emergency services and residents scrambling for safety. In the chaos, many were forced to flee on foot as roads in Pacific Palisades became blocked by abandoned vehicles.
