Hollywood grinds to a halt as LA wildfires continue to cause devastation
The iconic Hollywood sign is under threat from the fire
Hollywood industry events have been cancelled and dozens of celebrities saw their homes burnt to ashes as the LA wildfires continued to cause devastation overnight.
Fast-moving infernos, fanned by hurricane-force winds, have caused apocalyptic scenes in Los Angeles County, with at least 10 people reported dead so far and around 180,000 people forced to evacuate.
The infernos, described as an “historic natural disaster” by emergency services leaders, spread overnight and during the early hours of this morning to Studio City and the Hollywood Hills, threatening the homes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga and Quentin Tarantino.
Meanwhile, the blaze approached the iconic Hollywood sign, landmark sights such as the Hollywood Bowl and torched properties on Sunset Boulevard.
The exclusive neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades, where many Hollywood executives and actors own multi-million-dollar mansions, was the epicentre of the fires.
Among the celebrities reported to have lost their homes are Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck, Paris Hilton, John Goodman, Leighton Meester and Billy Crystal.
James Woods, who has starred in shows such as CBS legal series Shark, helped to rescue a 94-year-old neighbour suffering from dementia before fire destroyed their street.
“We were literally in the exact epicentre of the fire as it started and we were evacuated with the clothes on our back,” Woods told CNN reporters.
“It was an inferno. There was so much chaos and every home was on fire around us. The whole street has burned down.”
Aerial water bombardments were continuing today as firefighters and emergency services attempted to extinguish multiple fires and prevent further spreading. LA County faces a damage bill of billions of dollars, with the wildfires described as the most destructive in its history.
With entire neighbourhoods razed to the ground, it’s hardly surprising that many industry events in Hollywood have been cancelled or postponed.
The 2025 Critics Choice Awards, which has been due to take place in Santa Monica this Sunday with presenter Chelsea Handler, have been put on hold to a later date. The BAFTA Tea Party, previously set for Saturday night at Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel, has also been cancelled.
Streamer Apple+ TV has pulled its scheduled Monday red carpet premiere for the second season of sci-fi thriller Severance; while a press event to publicise the ABC comedy Shifting Gears in Burbank has also been put on hold.
Yesterday, C21 reported more than a dozen US scripted series paused production due to the wildfires, including Universal Studio Group (USG)-produced titles Suits LA and Hacks, as well as Warner Bros TV-produced series The Pitt, Abbott Elementary and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Other scripted TV shows now temporarily stood down include Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS and Ted, while late night chat shows After Midnight on CBS and Jimmy Kimmel Live have halted filming.
