Hollywood premiere cancelled as residents told to ‘evacuate now’ from wildfire
Residents in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, home to numerous A-list celebrities, were told ‘don’t wait, evacuate’.
The Hollywood premiere of Unstoppable starring Jennifer Lopez has been cancelled as residents were ordered to “evacuate now” amid a rapidly growing wildfire in California, the PA news agency understands.
Residents in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, home to numerous A-list celebrities, were told “don’t wait, evacuate” by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services as the blaze grew to 300 acres within four hours.
Plumes of thick black smoke billowed over miles of traffic jams as residents attempted to flee, with US officials shutting down sections of the Pacific Coast Highway, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Among the stars evacuating was US actor James Woods, who shared security camera footage of flames engulfing a nearby home and at the bottom of his balcony on X.
“We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well. We are safe and out…Can not speak more highly of the LA fire and LAPD,” the Golden Globe and two-time Emmy-winning actor said.
Meanwhile, the star-studded premiere of Unstoppable, a biopic of US wrestler Anthony Robles who won a national championship with one leg, was cancelled hours before it was due to take place on Tuesday evening because of the evacuation orders, PA understands.
Unstoppable is the directorial debut from William Goldenberg and sees Jharrel Jerome play Robles and Lopez star as his mother, Judy.
It is not yet clear if Universal’s premiere of Wolf Man will go ahead as planned on Tuesday, or if Paramount’s Wednesday premiere of Better Man about British singer Robbie Williams will be cancelled amid the blaze.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Fire Department said in a statement: “People in the area of Palisades need to evacuate now due to a rapidly moving wildfire.
“Pack all people and pets into your vehicle and leave the area immediately.
“If you are not in the mandatory evacuation zone, stay off the roads to allow first responders and evacuees to move quickly.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that southern California is facing a “critical” weather event as “strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity” were causing “extreme wildfire risks”.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service for Los Angeles warned of “life-threatening, destructive” gusts that could last for days, bringing extreme fire risk to areas that have not seen substantial rain for many months.
It comes less than a month after residents in Malibu were evacuated from a wind-driven blaze dubbed the Franklin Fire, which saw more than 4,000 acres burn and stars including Dick Van Dyke, Cher and Jane Seymour forced to leave their homes.
