As wildfires continue to ravage areas of Los Angeles, thousands have tragically lost their homes, including several Hollywood stars.
The fire started Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, before spreading to parts of Malibu and Santa Monica overnight. As of early Thursday, the L.A. Fire Department said the Palisades Fire was zero percent contained. Two other active wildfires in the L.A. area — the Eaton and Woodley fires — are also at zero percent containment. The Lidia fire is 40 percent contained, and the Hurst fire is 10 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
On Wednesday night, another fire, named the Sunset Fire, broke out in the Hollywood Hills, endangering the iconic landmark the Hollywood Bowl, among other tourist destinations. On Thursday morning, all evacuation orders were lifted after firefighters got the blaze under control. Also later Wednesday night, a sixth fire, named the Sunswept Fire, broke out inside a Studio City home before spreading to nearby houses and brush. The Los Angeles Fire Department quickly contained most of the blaze.
Mandy Moore, Anna Faris, Rainn Wilson, Paris Hilton, Bozoma Saint John, Billy Crystal, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Cary Elwes, James Woods, Diane Warren, Cameron Mathison, Ricki Lake, Jhené Aiko and record producer Lou Adler are among the luminaries who have confirmed that they have lost their homes.
TMZ has reported that the homes of Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Eugene Levy, John Goodman and Anthony Hopkins have also burned down. (The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to their respective reps to confirm.)
This Is Us star Moore shared that her Altadena, California, home was burned down in the Eaton Fire. “This is Altadena. Leveled. My sweet home,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “I am devastated and gutted for those of us who’ve lost so much. I’m absolutely numb.”
Crystal and his wife Janice confirmed that the Pacific Palisades fire destroyed their home of nearly five decades. “Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” the couple shared in a joint statement.
Wilson shared a video on TikTok returning to his home to assess the damage, saying he can “barely process” what he is returning to. “Walking through the remains of my bedroom, and my closet, and my bathroom, and there’s my toilet — my charred toilet — and here is my office, where I actually wrote Soulboom,” he said while showing the devastation. “There’s some kind of valuable lesson here. I’m not sure what it is. Kind of death and fire teaches you a lesson about the impermanence of life, the preciousness of what we have. So I hope you all stay grateful today for what you have.”
Hilton said she is “heartbroken beyond words” after learning her Malibu home was destroyed in the wildfires. “Sitting with my family, watching the news and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” she wrote in part on Instagram. “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.”
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and marketing executive Bozoma Saint John took to Instagram to say that the house she “prayed for. The house I worked in blood, sweat and tears for” is now gone. “This is the house where I found peace after battling with racist neighbors and a community that made me have to buy it in a trust within a trust so no one would know that widowed, single Black woman with a teenager was buying on the exclusively-held beach. This was my EFF YOU I’m here house,” she wrote. “This is an unimaginable loss. I grieve with the rest of Los Angeles as it burns… and even though I’ve found even words to write here, there’s nothing that I could say in this moment to describe this feeling.”
Faris’ home was burned down in the Palisades Fire, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Wednesday. “Anna and her family are safe and grateful,” the Scary Movie star’s rep shared.
Warren shared that the beach house she’s had for 30 years has been lost in the devastating wildfires. “This is the last pic I took of Leah’s rock from my beach house. I’ve had this house for almost 30 years. It looks like it was lost in the fire last nite,” she wrote on Instagram. “There’s a rainbow shining on it which I’m taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy.”
Pratt’s sister Stephanie posted a photo of Spencer with fire in the background on Instagram, sharing: “I am beyond heartbroken for my brother, Heidi & the kids. And to all of our friends and neighbors who have lost their houses today.” The Pratt siblings’ parents also lost their home.
Woods CNN on Wednesday that his entire street was burning down. “There was so much chaos, it was like an inferno. Every house was on fire around us,” he said of fleeing his home. “We were evacuated with the clothes on our back.”
Elwes shared in an update on Wednesday that he and his family were safe, but that their home had been destroyed. “Sadly, we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” the Princess Bride star wrote on Instagram. “Our hearts go out to all the families impacted by this tragic event and we also with to extend our gratitude to all the firefighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly through the night and are still at it.”
TV host and actress Lake revealed on Instagram Wednesday that she “lost our dream home” in the Palisades fire. “It’s all gone. I can’t believe I am typing these words,” she wrote. “After a valiant and brave effort by our friend and hero @kirbykotler_ Ross and I lost our dream home. This description ‘dream home’ doesn’t suffice. It was our heaven on earth. The place where we planned to grow old together. We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved malibu for granted, not even for one second. I shared our sunset views almost daily with all of you. This loss is immeasurable.”
General Hospital actor Mathison shared a video on his social media of the devastation left behind by the fire, revealing that his house had burned down: “We are safe But this is what’s left of our beautiful home. Our home where our kids were raised and where they wanted to raise their own someday.”
R&B singer Aiko posted to Instagram Stories that she had too lost her home. “burned to the ground with all of our things inside. Lord have mercy 🙏 Thankful we still have eachother 💙 starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy 💔,” she wrote.
Jennifer Grey’s daughter Stella Gregg shared on her Instagram Story Wednesday that her mother’s home was “burnt to the ground.” She added that the Dirty Dancing star and her dog Winnie were safe and told everyone to “give your loved ones an extra squeeze today.”
Star Trek actress Denise Crosby shared that the “beautiful Spanish cottage that gave me endless joy, where I met my husband and raised my son, the only house I’ve ever owned, with fruit trees I grew, with a garden of native plants” is now ashes. “I am heartbroken,” she wrote.
Adler’s son Cisco posted a video showing the loss of his childhood home on Instagram. “We are one of many families dealing with this,” he wrote. “Blessed in so many ways and safe. My Dads house which is my childhood home and one of the only constants in my life is currently safe. For that I am grateful…The studio house and all that is in it is gone physically but the memories and music reman…
“WE made so much music here. And had so many amazing times here with so many amazing people. And we will again…I don’t think I ever locked the place once in my life…it was protected by those who shared good times there and their love for it…”
Below, those Hollywood notables and more share firsthand accounts about the fires and their impact on their homes and communities.
This is a developing story.
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