Parts of Los Angeles City in Califonia, USA were devastated by five major raging wildfires that began in the early morning of January 7, 2025 (California time). CNN reported at least ten people were killed in the disaster that also destroyed more than 9,000 homes, and put at least 130,000 residents under evacuation orders across the city. Among those were some of the beloved Hollywood stars we know.
What's happening with the Los Angeles fires?
As some people have noted, it was something that the people of Los Angeles have never seen before. Filmings in the city were paused, classes were canceled, and everyone was ordered to evacuate from their residences. Although the wildfire season in California usually starts in the middle of the year, a January wildfire is technically not new since there were recorded incidents in 2021 and 2022, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or CalFire.
In a report by the Associated Press, CalFire noted that the wildfires were caused by the combination of rising temperatures, decreased rainfall, and climate change. Now, with this week's fire disaster, the rapid and strong winds—which they called Santa Ana winds—have added strength to the fires that spread through the homes of almost every L.A. resident, especially in the Pacific Palisades area between Santa Monica and Malibu until the Eaton area near Pasadena. Those areas ranked as the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, according to Reuters.
Hours after the fires started, U.S. President Joe Biden went down to a Santa Monica fire station and took part in a wildfire briefing on the ground. He also signed a federal disaster declaration for the fires. More than 130 teams of firefighters from various states like Oregon, Washington state, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona came to help out the Los Angeles Fire Department in putting out the fires, said AP News.
Celebrities devasted by the Los Angeles fires
As of writing, there's still no news on whether the fires are completely put out. But experts on the ground are already expecting the fires to get a lot worse as winds are forecasted to get stronger by Friday in California. The Los Angeles Times reported that the ongoing L.A. fires might just be the "costliest wildfire disaster in American history" if it continues to destroy more in the region.
Amid the authorities exerting efforts to ensure the safety of every citizen out there, celebrities have come forward on social media to share their experiences and call for help for those affected. Reports have identified celebrities like Billy Crystal, Melissa Rivers, Jeff Bridges, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Miles Teller, Anna Faris, Jhené Aiko, Tina Knowles, and more.
Billy, an American veteran actor known for the rom-com film, When Harry Met Sally, expressed sorrow as he witnessed his home of 46 years burned down by the fire in Pacific Palisades.
Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester and her husband, The O.C. star Adam Brody were also affected by the disaster. Entertainment site, Page Six, reported about their $6.5 million (P380,145,858.95) house getting caught up in the flames, also in Pacific Palisades.
Fashion icon, Paris Hilton, also took her experiences to her Instagram Stories. She posted a photo of what seems to be a shot of the wildfires from afar with the caption, "Driving out of my house onto Mulholland. I've never seen anything like this." She also reposted some posts about donating and helping out Los Angeles.
A Walk To Remember actress, Mandy Moore has also been very vocal about the incident which completely struck their home in Altadena, California. She has posted a couple of photos of burned-down homes via Instagram and it went with some detailed captions as well.
In one post, she shared that the school where kids go to was destroyed, restaurants, and houses of their friends and families. "I love you, Altadena. Grateful for my family and pets getting out last night before it was too late (and endless gratitude to friends for taking us in and bringing us clothes and blankets)," she wrote.
As the fires are still ongoing, Mandy is out there calling for donations to help some families rebuild their homes. "Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control," she continued in her first post about the L.A. fires.
In another post, Mandy shared how they went back to their street to check on their house—not livable but mostly intact, as she described it. She said, "We lost our garage and back house. Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone."
Although they have been feeling some "survivors' guilt," they are determined to rebuild their community after all the chaos. "We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support it. Thanks to everyone for checking on us and offering us help," Mandy concluded.
