A fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills Wednesday evening, prompting new evacuation orders in Los Angeles.
The blaze, known as the Sunset Fire, was first reported around 5:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department said on its website.
The fire is burning near several landmarks, including the Hollywood Bowl, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards.
A mandatory evacuation order is now in place for Laurel Canyon Boulevard (on the west) to Mulholland Drive (on the north) to the 101 Freeway (on the east) down to Hollywood Boulevard (on the south), the LAFD said.
Related: Celebrities Flee and Share Updates as LA Fires Explode
As of 9 p.m. the fire had grown to about 60 acres in the Hollywood Hills, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
Due to the fire, the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard was shuttered.
“FYI – we have closed the theatre tonight and sent employees home. If you had tickets for tonight please reach out tomorrow and we will issue you a full refund. Please stay safe everyone,” the venue wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
People on social media posted pictures and video of helicopters overhead fighting the flames.
There was no immediate word on how the fire started, but it was burning amid continuing Santa Ana winds that fueled major brush fires across the region claiming at least five lives, regional leaders said in a televised news conference Wednesday.
Due to hurricane-force winds and dry conditions, more than 130,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes.
The Palisades Fire burning in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles has been declared the most destructive in the city’s history, after at least 1,000 structures burned.
Socialite Paris Hilton and comedian Billy Crystal were among the stars who lost homes in the fire.
“We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away,” Crystal and his wife Janice said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, actress Jamie Lee Curtis posted a heartbreaking video from her neighborhood on Instagram Wednesday.
“Our beloved neighborhood is gone. Our home is safe. So many others have lost everything. Help where you can. Thank you to the first responders and firefighters,” she shared.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard raced home to Los Angeles from an away game against the Denver Nuggets to be with his family when they were ordered to leave their neighborhood because of the fires, ESPN reported coach Tyronn Lue said Wednesday.
“You definitely have to take care of home. … Totally had my support 100%,” Lue told reporters. “Going back, checking on his family and kids, making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”
There are currently five brush fires burning in Los Angeles County, according to CAL FIRE.
The two largest and most devastating are the Palisades Fire at 15,832 acres and the Eaton Fire at 10,600 acres in the Altadena/Pasadena area. As of Wednesday night, both were zero percent contained.
