Hollywood stars lose homes as wildfires engulf Los Angeles | In the images of the News
The Hollywood Hills burned out of control Thursday morning as the worst wildfires in Los Angeles history raged through the city with a flaming crescent visible from space.
A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening the center of the United States film industry as firefighters battled to contain it amid dry, hurricane-force winds that disrupted operations and fanned flames.
At least six separate wildfires burned in Los Angeles County, killing at least five people and forcing the evacuation of 130,000 people as the blaze swept through communities from the Pacific coast to inland Pasadena.
The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those engulfed in flames, which engulfed some of the world’s most luxurious properties and towered over showbiz landmarks instantly recognizable around the world.
The flames engulfed Calabasas and Santa Monica, home of California’s rich and famous. Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton were among the stars who lost their homes. Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, lost their home of 45 years in the Palisades fire.
“This firestorm is huge,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference after rushing back to the city, cutting short a business trip to Ghana.
Several Hollywood studios suspended production, and Universal Studios closed its theme park between Pasadena and Pacific Palisades.
More than half a dozen schools in the area were damaged or destroyed, including Palisades Charter High School, which has appeared in many Hollywood productions, including the 1976 horror film Carrie and the TV series Teen Wolf, officials said.
The University of California, Los Angeles has canceled classes for this week.
