Celebrities lose homes, flee as Los Angeles fires spread
A home reportedly belonging to Hollywood actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody was one of more than 1,000 buildings destroyed by wildfires raging across Los Angeles, including a blaze that started on Wednesday in the Hollywood Hills.
Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, Maria Shriver and other celebrities were among more than 100,000 people forced to evacuate their homes to escape the out-of-control fires burning in some of Los Angeles’ most desirable areas.
The largest blaze consumed more than 15,000 acres in Pacific Palisades, a picturesque neighborhood between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu that is home to many film, television and music stars.
Brody, best known for his roles in TV series “The O.C.” and “Nobody Wants This”, and Meester, who starred in “Gossip Girl”, bought their Pacific Palisades home in 2019 for $6.5 million, according real estate and entertainment websites.
Shriver, a journalist and the former first lady of California when she was married to former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the destruction in the upscale enclave was devastating.
“Everything is gone. Our neighborhood, our restaurants,” she wrote on X on Wednesday.
— Reuters
Companies offer support to Californians fleeing fires
Evacuees from the Palisades fire are seen at an evacuation and shelter center at Westwood Recreation Center in Los Angeles, California, on January 8, 2025.
Agustin Paullier | Afp | Getty Images
Big-name companies ranging from rideshare platforms to telecom giants have offered resources aimed at aiding Los Angeles-area residents amid the fires.
Airbnb partnered with 211LA to provide free, temporary housing to evacuees. Interested parties can fill out this form.
Uber shared a $40 credit for Long Angeles County residents taking a trip to an active shelter by using the code “WILDFIRE25,” according to NBC’s affiliate station there. Lyft will provide two $25 vouchers for the first 500 customers to use the code “CAFIRERELIEF25” by Jan. 15.
AT&T is waving select charges for customers in certain California zip codes. Verizon said it’s providing unlimited calls, texting and data usage to customers in “hardest hit” areas and has set up WiFi and charging stations at three locations.
Planet Fitness offered evacuees free access to facilities through Jan. 15, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Click here to see a full list of resources from companies vetted by NBC Los Angeles.
— Alex Harring
Early insurance estimates emerge
A man sprays water on a house destroyed from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena neighborhood on January 08, 2025 in PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.
Nick Ut | Getty Images
Early damage estimates are starting to emerge, even as the fires continue to rage.
AccuWeather reports economic losses to reach as much as $57 billion. Analysts at JPMorgan put insured losses at about $10 billion. AM Best says it’s too early to assess the damage, but that the high value of lost real estate will generate large economic losses.
Pacific Palisades is in the top five concentrated areas of exposure in Southern California.
State Farm has the largest market share with 8 million policies in California. Farmers Insurance is a close second, with Travelers, Allstate, Chubb and USAA in the top 10.
Years ago, Chubb began managing down its exposure in the regulated market, where rates have to be approved. Instead, it writes property insurance for high-net-worth individuals under Excess & Surplus lines, which aren’t subject to approval.
AIG and Pure Insurance also offer the high-end policies that could get hit from these fires.
— Contessa Brewer
Palisades Fire in California burns more than 15,000 acres
Chimneys stand among the rubble after the passage of the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025.
Agustin Paullier | Afp | Getty Images
The Palisades Fire that has ravaged the Los Angeles area has burned more than 15,000 acres through Thursday morning. Here’s a look at the devastation caused by the other four fires in the area, per NBC News:
- Eaton Fire: 10,600 acres
- Hurst Fire: 855 acres
- Lidia Fire: 348 acres
- Sunset fire: 60 acres
— Fred Imbert
Los Angeles and Ventura counties under red flag warnings until Friday
A view of the Palisades fire from a plane, January 7, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media.
Mark Viniello | Mark Viniello Via Reuters
The National Weather Service said Wednesday evening that “much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties” were under red flag warnings until 6 p.m. on Friday due to “moderate to strong North to Northeast winds and low relative humidity.”
Winds will be lighter Thursday morning but will pick up again Thursday afternoon and night, lasting into early Friday, the National Weather Service said. It added that “gusts of 30 to 50 mph could sporadically affect lower elevations and favored valleys.”
— NBC News
