Home World News Hollywood Hills fire breaks out as devastating flames blaze out of control over the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles (AP) — A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening one of Los Angeles’ most iconic places, as firefighters raced to keep three other major blazes under control, killing five people and putting 130,000 individuals The Associated Press (Manuel Valdes, Hallie Golden, and Julie Watson) reported approximately 10 hours ago. Share by text messages.A firefighter works from a deck as the Palisades Fire consumes a beachside property on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in Malibu, California. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent.) Listen to the article. 00:08:56 Los Angeles (AP) — A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening one of Los Angeles’ most iconic spots as firefighters battled to get under control three other major blazes that killed five people, put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena.

The Sunset Fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl, about a mile (1.6 kilometres) from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The streets surrounding Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds were congested with stop-and-go traffic as sirens blared and low-flying helicopters swooped overhead on their way to drop water on the flames. People carrying suitcases exited hotels on foot, while some observers walked toward the flames, recording the fire on their smartphones. gusts eased slightly Wednesday, a day after hurricane-force gusts blasted embers through the air, igniting block after block, and hundreds of firemen from other states arrived to assist, but four out-of-control fires demonstrated that the threat is far from ended.

The Sunset Fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl, about a mile (1.6 kilometres) from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The streets surrounding Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds were congested with stop-and-go traffic as sirens blared and low-flying helicopters swooped overhead on their way to drop water on the flames. People carrying suitcases exited hotels on foot, while some observers walked toward the flames, recording the fire on their smartphones. gusts eased slightly Wednesday, a day after hurricane-force gusts blasted embers through the air, igniting block after block, and hundreds of firemen from other states arrived to assist, but four out-of-control fires demonstrated that the threat is far from ended.

Palisades Charter High School, which has appeared in numerous Hollywood movies, including the 1976 horror film “Carrie” and the television series “Teen Wolf,” was either damaged or destroyed, according to officials. UCLA has cancelled courses for this week. Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles stated that air operations were being used to extinguish the fire. She warned that they will still experience “erratic winds,” but not like Tuesday evening, when aircraft were forced to land and extensive wreckage happened. Fire Chief Chad Augustin of Pasadena said between 200 and 500 structures were damaged or destroyed by the Eaton Fire, which began Tuesday night. He added the city’s water system was strained and further hampered by power outages, but even without those concerns, firemen would not have been able to stop the fire due to the intense winds fanning the flames.“Those erratic wind gusts were throwing embers for multiple miles ahead of the fire,” he said.

A large fire on the Pacific ocean west of downtown Los Angeles destroyed entire blocks, reducing grocery stores and banks to ruins in the Pacific Palisades, a hillside region along the ocean filled with celebrity residences and immortalized by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit “Surfin’ USA.” The Palisades Fire was the most damaging in Los Angeles history, destroying at least 1,000 houses. The extent of the devastation was just becoming clear: block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows had been reduced to little more than charred remnants punctuated by stone fireplaces and blackened arched entryways. An ornate iron railing encircled one house’s smouldering structure. The terrible scenes extended for miles.

Swimming pools were dark with smoke, and sports cars sat on melted tires. As flames engulfed his neighbourhood, Jose Velasquez poured water on his family’s Altadena home while embers showered down on the roof. He was able to save their home, which also housed their family company selling churros, a Mexican dessert. Others were not as lucky. Many of his neighbours were working when they lost their homes. “So we had to call a few people and then we had people messaging, asking if their house was still standing,” he told me. “We had to tell them that it’s not.”

Beyond the burned areas, residents worked in N95 masks, unable to escape the toxic smoke that hung over large parts of the city. Actors lost their houses. The flames moved toward densely populated and expensive neighbourhoods such as Calabasas and Santa Monica, which are home to California’s rich and famous. Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, and Paris Hilton are among the celebrities who announced Wednesday that they had lost their homes. Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their 45-year-old home in the Palisades fire. “We have reared our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our home was infused with affection. “Beautiful memories that cannot be taken away,” the Crystals wrote in their statement.

Palisades Village’s public library, two major grocery stores, a bank, and several boutiques were all destroyed. “It’s just really weird coming back to somewhere that doesn’t really exist anymore,” said Dylan Vincent, who returned to the neighbourhood to grab some possessions only to discover that his primary school had burned down and entire streets had been levelled. The fires have devoured around 42 square miles (108 square kilometres), which is roughly the area of the entire city of San Francisco. Fast-moving flames left little time to flee. Flames spread so swiftly that several people hardly had chance to escape. Police sought refuge inside their patrol cars, and residents of a senior care centre were pushed in wheelchairs and hospital beds down

According to new research, California’s wildfire season is starting earlier and lasting longer as a result of higher temperatures and less rainfall caused by climate change. According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, rains that typically finish the fire season are frequently delayed, allowing fires to burn throughout the winter. Dry winds, especially the legendary Santa Anas, have led to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has had no more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimetres) of rain since early May. According to assessments from the National Weather Service, winds reached 80 mph (129 kph) on Wednesday. Wind gusts of 35-55 mph (56-88 kph) were expected to reach higher elevations in the highlands and foothills. Fire conditions could linger until Friday.

Universal Studios shuttered its theme park between Pasadena and Pacific Palisades. According to the tracking website PowerOutage.us, more than 456,000 individuals in southern California had without power as of Wednesday evening. Several Southern California monuments were severely damaged, including the Reel Inn in Malibu, a seafood restaurant. The owner, Teddy Leonard, and her husband intend to restore. “When you look at the grand scheme of things, as long as your family is well and everyone’s alive, you’re still winning, right?” She said.

Golden reported from Seattle, and Watson from San Diego. Contributors to this report included Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber and Eugene Garcia in Los Angeles, Ethan Swope in Pasadena, John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, Jeff Martin in Atlanta, Janie Har in San Francisco, Brian Melley in London, Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, and Tammy Webber in Detroit. Manuel Valdes, Hallie Golden, and Julie Watson.