...
By Billie Schwab Dunn
Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Hercules star James Woods has been forced to evacuate his home as wind-field fires spread across Los Angeles.
The Pacific Palisades inferno began as a brush fire around 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, with heavy winds causing it to quickly expand to 200 acres, as reported by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Mandatory evacuation orders were quickly issued in the affluent neighborhood, located along the coast and in the mountains north of Santa Monica and home to many celebrities. The Oscar-nominated actor is one of the many people who has been affected, having taken to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news.
Read More on Entertainment
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Woods for comment on Wednesday outside of normal business hours.
"All the smoke detectors are going off in our house and transmitting to our iPhones," he wrote.
"I couldn't believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one."
Only 10 minutes later, Woods shared another update, writing alongside a video: "I took this last night from our beautiful little home in the Palisades. Now all the fire alarms are going off at once remotely. It tests your soul, losing everything at once, I must say."
Before these updates, Woods had been posting a series of photos and clips documenting the blaze. In one post, he simply said he was "leaving." In another, he showed the fire lapping the deck of his home, and in other posts, he praised the efforts made by first responders.
"We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well. We are safe and out," he posted to the social media platform.
"There are several elementary schools in our neighborhood and there was an enormous community effort to evacuate the children safely. Can not speak more highly of the LA fire and LAPD."
...
In a previous update, Woods said he was unclear on the overall condition of his home but had been able to monitor the fire thanks to a security camera on his property.
"To all the wonderful people who've reached out to us, thank you for being so concerned. Just letting you know that we were able to evacuate successfully. I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing, but sadly houses on our little street are not," he posted.
The actor also took the opportunity to share the work he had previously done on the property. He said he had installed sprinkler systems that can be remotely managed in hopes it would help with future fires.
"We cleared and built pathways on our hillside with sprinkler systems that can be remotely managed. We also did brush clearance per local fire prevention mandates. I'm hoping it has done some good. It's hard to beat the winds this time of year though, if someone is careless," he wrote.
Woods added: "We renovated a home after COVID and just finished last month. To all the lovely people offering care and love, I'll say this. There is no possession as priceless as friends and good neighbors during a tragedy. I can't believe the blessings we enjoy, and I am humbly grateful."
A Hurst Fire also broke out in California as Los Angeles battles multiple wildfires. There are now at least three active wildfires in the Los Angeles area, prompting evacuations of thousands of people across the state.
Among those who have been affected are actors Steve Guttenberg and Eugene Levy. Guttenberg, known for Three Men and a Baby and It Takes Two, was spotted assisting with evacuation and firefighting efforts by attempting to clear Palisades Drive of vehicles to allow emergency workers to pass through the area.
Schitt's Creek star Levy, the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, told The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that he spotted "black and intense" smoke while battling traffic during his evacuation.
While firefighters and emergency workers were responding to both the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires late Tuesday night, powerful winds continued spreading the blazes at a dizzying pace. Officials were expected to continue prioritizing the safe evacuation of residents overnight.
Update 01/08/25, 4:12 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include further context and information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines