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By Aila Slisco
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Celebrities were forced to evacuate on Tuesday as a quickly spreading fire raged in Pacific Palisades, California.
The Context
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, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
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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.
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What To Know
LAFD said in an update at 2:23 p.m. PST that aerial mapping showed the fire had spread to 770 acres. Over 250 LAFD firefighters were working alongside other emergency workers to contain the situation.
The area under evacuation orders includes nearly all of Pacific Palisades, extending from a mountainous region in Topanga State Park to the border with Santa Monica. The evacuation order also applies to part of the Pacific Coast Highway, where traffic was shut down in both directions.
Celebrities who live or have lived in the area in recent years include Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, J. Lo, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Aniston, Miles Teller, Michael Keaton and Adam Sandler.
The following celebrities were forced to flee their homes under an evacuation order on Tuesday due to the Pacific Palisades fire, according to news reports and posts to their social media accounts.
- James Woods: The actor evacuated from his home within hours of the fire starting and shared multiple videos of the area in flames on X, formerly Twitter. He later shared images from his home security cameras and neighbors showing the blaze quickly approaching his property.
- Steve Guttenberg: The actor 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.
- Eugene Levy: 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.
LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart told Newsweek that the area under evacuation includes "13,208 structures," while stressing that not all of the buildings were in immediate jeopardy.
What People Are Saying
Steve Guttenberg, in comments to KTLA: "There are people stuck up there. So we're trying to clear Palisades Drive and I'm walking up there as far as I can moving cars ... There are families up there, there are pets up there. There are people who really need help ... Don't worry about your personal property. Just get out. Get your loved ones and get out."
James Woods on X, while sharing a video of the fire raging near his home: "We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well. We are safe and out. 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."
California Governor Gavin Newsom on X, while sharing a video of himself on a residential street just hundreds of feet from flames: "On the ground in Pacific Palisades and getting briefed by @CAL_FIRE on the #PalisadesFire in Los Angeles. Californians in the affected areas should stay alert and follow evacuation orders from local authorities."
What Happens Next
Before the fire, the National Weather Service issued several "red flag warnings" for Tuesday and Wednesday in Southern California due to expected heavy winds of up to 100 mph.
Forecasts suggest that some of the heaviest winds could come later on Tuesday night, increasing the risk that the Pacific Palisades fire may spread farther, although the winds are expected to die down by Wednesday evening.
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