Los Angeles Burns: Death Toll Rises and Tens of Thousands Evacuate as Unstoppable Wildfires Rage

Los Angeles held its breath for another day on Wednesday as windswept wildfires ripped across parched hillsides and consumed whole neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of people fled the flames and smoke. By Thursday morning, at least five deaths had been attributed to the blazes, and more than a thousand structures, including homes and businesses, had been reduced to rubble and ash, according to fire officials. Powering the destruction was a freakish Southern California windstorm that transformed hurricane-level gales into immense flamethrowers, causing small brushfires to explode across the landscape well beyond the capacity for firefighters on the ground and in the air to extinguish them.

There was zero containment for most of the blazes, even after two days of effort. The fires proved to be unstoppable, destined to end only after they ran out of things to burn.

On Wednesday night, a new fire broke out in the hills near the famous Hollywood sign, sending smoke and ash soaring above the Capitol Records building and Hollywood Boulevard. Gusts caused it to spread quickly. Onlookers posted videos and photos as the orange glow began racing across the hillsides shortly after sundown, as even more Angelenos headed for refuge.

The city came to a near standstill. Those in the sprawling metropolis who were not under evacuation orders hunkered in place, with state and city officials urging citizens to stay off the notoriously traffic-clogged arteries of Los Angeles to make room for those rushing to combat the various blazes. Blackouts dotted the region as power supplier Southern California Edison cut electricity during the most intense wind surges to prevent fallen wires from sparking new fires. Trees toppled onto roadways, and whirls of dust and debris gave the burning city a postapocalyptic feel.

At least five major conflagrations erupted during the crisis. The largest was in the Pacific Palisades, the hillside neighborhood overlooking the Pacific where many of the city’s best-known and wealthiest residents reside. It was the place Ronald Reagan called home when he won the 1980 election for president, and one of the seaside meccas immortalized by the Beach Boys in their 1963 hit “Surfin’ USA.” By Thursday, it was a smoky ruin, with many parts of it—including a once bustling business district—reduced to cinders.

More than 17,000 acres had been scorched in the Palisades, with 300 structures obliterated and more than 13,000 threatened, according to the latest figures from Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency. Among those to lose their homes were some well-known performers, such as Princess Bride star Cary Elwes, who wrote on Instagram: “Firstly, myself and my family are all safe, thank God. Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire.” He went on to thank the “firefighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly through the night and are still at it.”

Billy Crystal confirmed that the home he and his wife shared for 46 years was also destroyed in the Palisades fire. “Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here,” he said in a statement. “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 inferno extended north along the coast into the city of Malibu, which suffered a smaller wildfire just last month. Paris Hilton said she learned her family home there had been destroyed when she saw the smoldering ruins on a local news broadcast. “Heartbroken beyond words,” she wrote on Instagram. “This home was where we built so many precious memories.”