Pacific Palisades Fire engulfs homes on mountain
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt filmed fire engulfing his home and others in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood after he and wife Heidi Montag were forced to evacuate. (Credit: Spencer Pratt / Snapchat)
A wildfire raging through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles has forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate as it consumes homes in the ritzy area, including those belonging to celebrities.
The Palisades Fire, driven by strong Santa Ana winds, began in the Santa Monica Mountains late Tuesday morning and quickly engulfed 200 acres within an hour, surging to nearly 3,000 acres by sunset, FOX Weather reported.
Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy joined “Fox News @ Night” on Tuesday to give an update on how firefighters are battling the fast-moving flames, but said there isn’t much that can be done to stop them, so crews are focusing on evacuating and rescuing anyone still in the area.
“Our main focus is getting people, lives out of the way of these fires,” Fennessy said. “There’s not a lot we can do other than get people out of the way of these fires and then try to attack them … certainly in the Palisades, that’s been the story today.”
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt and wife Heidi Montag lost their home in the Palisades Fire, Pratt and Montag confirmed on their Snapchat accounts Tuesday.
In a series of videos, “The Hills” star showed how the fire quickly moved over the hill toward their property.
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“Well, this isn’t looking good,” Pratt said while videoing the fire on the mountain behind their home. “First time I’ve seen the flames coming over. Aw, man. Okay, I’m going to go pack up I think.”
He later posted a video from his car stating that he was watching their home burn down on their security cameras.
Montag posted a video in a grocery store stating that their house did burn, but they are safe.
“Well, this isn’t looking good. First time I’ve seen the flames coming over. Aw man. OK, I’m going to go pack up I think.”
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt shared a picture from his security camera as his house was engulfed by the Palisades Fire. (Spencer Pratt / Snapchat)
Actor Chris Pratt posted on X and asked that people join him in praying for “the brave firefighters sacrificing so much to save our houses and our town.”
“Jesus protect the lives of those battling the flames and the lives of those who couldn’t evacuate,” Pratt wrote.
Eugene Levy, the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, told the Los Angeles Times in a phone interview that he was stuck in traffic and “smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon. I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark.”
Candace Cameron Bure shared a wildfire image online and wrote that it was “devastating to watch” as the Palisades fire roared on.
“Jesus protect the lives of those battling the flames and the lives of those who couldn’t evacuate.”
“Please pray the winds die down as it’s expected to get worse into the early morning hours,” Bure wrote on Instagram. “Please pray for the safety of firefighters and emergency crews who are fearlessly trying to tackle this disaster. Pray for the safety of every resident.”
Actress Denise Crosby, also in a post on X, said that she is safe, along with her husband and dog, but she is not sure if she has a house.
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Crosby shared a video from a beach on Tuesday night and followed that post up with videos from earlier in the day showing smoke near an alley behind her home and from Sunset Boulevard.
Tom Hanks’ son, Chet Hanks, posted on Instagram stories, “The neighborhood I grew up in is burning to the ground.”
Actor James Woods posted a series of videos on X showing his home and neighbors’ homes surrounded by smoke and flames. Woods said his family evacuated from the area safely, and commended first responders and community members for evacuating children from elementary schools within the neighborhood.
“To all the wonderful people who’ve reached out to us, thank you for being so concerned. Just letting you know that we were able to evacuate successfully,” Woods wrote on X. “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing, but sadly houses on our little street are not.”
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“Shrinking” star Christa B. Miller posted a video of the flames from the Palisades fire and wrote that she was evacuating her neighborhood. She offered “love, prayers and gratitude to all the firefighters working so hard” in an Instagram post.
Professional dancer Derek Hough shared photos to his Instagram account of the fire and said he and his wife are preparing to evacuate with their pets.
“The winds are hitting 100mph, and we’re packing up, preparing to evacuate with our five animals JUST IN CASE,” Hough wrote. “It’s scary with power lines exploding around us and the fires spreading so fast.”
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Hough continued his post by thanking firefighters for “risking everything to keep us safe” and said he is sending prayers and love to all firefighters and victims.