The celebrity Los Angeles area ravaged by wildfire

The affluent area of ​​Los Angeles in the Pacific Palisades is often visited by tourists, trying to see the houses of famous people.

However, now its streets are filled with firefighters fighting the 3,000-acre wildfire that is destroying the entire region.

Across the city, more than 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as the winds fueled three fires. A state of emergency has been declared, leaving roads closed as people flee.

Among them, a number of famous faces were forced to flee their often idyllic homes in California, including Star Wars’ Mark Hamill and Schitt’s Creek actor Eugene Levy.

James Woods, who starred in films including Nixon and Casino, explained that he left his home on television, and said he did not know if it was still there.

He wrote: “I feel like I’ve lost a loved one.”

Pacific Palisades is said to be the only, $4.5m (£3.6m) home available from November 2024, according to Realtor.com.

The area north of LA is bordered on the south by three beaches (4.8km) on the Pacific Ocean, which is between Malibu and Santa Monica.

It’s known for feeling more like a small town than part of a thriving city, with trendy shops, restaurants and a farmers market.

The area was favored by the famous and wealthy in the 20th century for its seclusion and access to nature, compared to the booming city of Los Angeles.

The houses, which vary from Mediterranean to Mediterranean, are often green, curved, often hidden by trees or perched on the banks of the nearby river Temescal.

But the Palisades fire — which grew from 10 acres to 2,900 in a matter of hours — has disrupted their culture.

Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame, called the fire “the deadliest fire since ’93” — which burned 18,000 acres and destroyed 323 homes in nearby Malibu — in an Instagram post.

He said he moved out of his Malibu home “in the last minute there.” [were] small fire on both sides of the road”.

Levy, who became famous for her role in the American Pie television series, told local media that she was forced to leave her home.

“The smoke looked very black and very dangerous over Temescal Canyon. I didn’t see any fire but the smoke was very black,” said the Los Angeles Times.

Reality star Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag lost their family in a fire, her sister wrote on Instagram.

“I am very sad for my brother, Heidi and the children,” he said. Even the Palisades fire station burned down.

Miles Teller, best known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, and his wife Keleigh, also live in the area.

Taking to Instagram, Mrs. Teller shared a photo of a fire with a heartbroken emoji. He encouraged people to leave bowls of water for animals to eat when they move out of their homes.

Meanwhile, photographer Steve Guttenberg, who is known for the Police Academy, stayed behind to help the firefighters by moving vehicles to find a place for the incoming fire.

He has asked people to leave their car keys that have been left behind to be removed from the fire department’s path.

“We really want people to move their cars,” he told a KTLA reporter: “This is not a parking lot.”

Celebrities aren’t the only ones affected by the wildfires – famous buildings in the area are also at risk.

Palisades Charter High School – which has been featured in movies and counts several famous people as former students – has been destroyed by fire, local media reports.

The fire school was used in films including Carrie and 1976’s Project X, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Past students include director JJ Abrams, singer Will.i.am, and actors Forest Whitaker and Katey Sagal.

The Getty Villa is an art museum in the Palisades that houses many paintings and sculptures, including works by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The museum confirmed on Tuesday that it was closed to the public and that trees and other plants on the site had been burned – but said “no buildings are on fire, and staff and collections are safe”.

Astrological events scheduled to take place in the area have also been cancelled.

The directors of Unstoppable, Better Man and Wolfman have been cancelled, as has the current Screen Actors Guild Awards event.