Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton, and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events, while at least five people have died.
Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week’s Oscar nominations have been delayed, while tens of thousands of city residents had been displaced and were awaiting word on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city’s most famous denizens.
More than 1,900 structures had been destroyed and the number was expected to increase. More than 130,000 people were under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continued to shift as new fires erupted.
Photo: AFP
Late on Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards.
Celebrities such as actor and comedian Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost.
The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years.
Photo: AFP
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course, but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this,” the Crystals wrote in a statement.
Moore — a singer and actress — lost her home in the Altadena neighborhood.
“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too,” Moore wrote on Instagram in a post that included video of devastated streets in the foothill suburb. “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.”
Photo: AFP
Media personality and businesswoman Hilton posted a news video clip on Instagram and said it included footage of her destroyed home in Malibu.
“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,” she said, referencing her young children.
Cary Elwes, the star of The Princess Bride and other films, wrote on Instagram that his family was safe, but their home had burned in the coastal Palisades fire.
“Sadly we did lose our home, but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” Elwes wrote.
The wildfires have thrown the carefully orchestrated awards season in Hollywood into disarray.
The AFI Awards, which were to honor Wicked, Anora and other awards season contenders, has had its plans to run today pushed back.
The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which honor movies and television shows that resonate with older audiences, were also set for today, but have been postponed.
The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed until Feb. 26.
The Oscar nominations are also being delayed two days to Jan. 19 and the film academy has extended the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires.
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