Paris Hilton, Mark Hamill, Anthony Hopkins' homes burn down in Pacific Palisades wildfires

Wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles have destroyed several celebrities' homes and forced stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and James Woods, to evacuate.

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

Adam Brody, Leighton Meester, Fergie, Anna Faris, Anthony Hopkins, and John Goodman also reported losing their homes as the devastating fire rages in Los Angeles. 

California firefighters are battling wind-whipped fires that are tearing across the area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled, and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained Wednesday.

The Pacific Palisades neighbourhood is a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences. Many of these celebrities have now evacuated the area as the fires engulfed their homes. "Evacuated Malibu so last minute," wrote Hamill in an Instagram post Tuesday night. "Small fires on both sides of the road as we approached (the Pacific Coast Highway)."

Cary 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.

Paris 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.

Footage from TMZ showed Leighton Meester's $6.5 million LA mansion was also destroyed in the wildfire, as was Black Eyed Peas' singer Fergie's home.

Stars who have evacuated due to Palisades fire

Jamie Lee Curtis said Wednesday on Instagram that her family is safe, but she suggested her neighbourhood 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."

Mandy Moore said her family evacuated too and has since tried to shield her kids from the "immense sadness and worry" that she currently feels. "So gutted for the destruction and loss," she posted in her Instagram story. "Don't know if our place made it."

Woods posted footage Tuesday of flames burning through bushes and past palm trees on a hill near his home. The towering orange flames billowed among the landscaped yards between the homes.

"Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate," Woods said in the short video on X. Later, he confirmed he had evacuated and added: "It tests your soul, losing everything at once, I must say."

Impact of the fire so far

Officials didn't give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the wildfire, but they said at least 70,000 residents were under evacuation orders and nearly 30,000 structures were under threat. Five people have reportedly lost their lives.

The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed until February 26. Film studios canceled two movie premieres due to the fire and windy weather, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park closed for the day due to the smoky and windy conditions.