5 killed, thousands flee homes as wildfire burns across Los Angeles

Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, Paris Hilton among stars who lost homes in the fires

LOS ANGELES: Wildfires that ravaged some of the most picturesque neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area continued to grow Wednesday as fire crews battled three major out-of-control blazes that killed at least five people.

Winds were easing and firefighters from across the state were relieving exhausted crews, but the danger was far from over. As officials provided an update on the fires, a new blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills, and evacuation orders were also extended to Santa Monica.

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More than 1,000 structures, mostly homes, have been destroyed, and more than 130,000 people are under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt.

A thick smoke wafted over many parts of Los Angeles. At least seven schools in the area were either damaged or destroyed, officials said.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said firefighters from across California and elsewhere had arrived to help along with air operations that were dousing flames. She warned they still faced “erratic winds,” though not of hurricane force like Tuesday evening, when much of the destruction occurred.

Celebrities who lost homes
Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton are among the stars who said they had lost homes in the fires.

Moore lost her home in the Altadena neighborhood near Pasadena. “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,” the actor-singer 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,” Moore wrote.

 

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A post shared by Mandy Moore (@mandymooremm)

Elwes, the star of “The Princess Bride” and numerous other films, wrote on Instagram Wednesday 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.

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.

“The devastation is unimaginable. To know so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking,” she wrote.

 

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A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton)

Jamie Lee Curtis said on Instagram that her family is safe, but she suggested her neighborhood and possibly her home is on fire. She said many of her friends lost their homes. “It’s a terrifying situation and I’m grateful to the firefighters and all of the good Samaritans who are helping people get out of the way of the blaze.”

Other stars who have homes in the area include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.