Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes and Eugene Levy among celebrities losing their homes in California fires | California

Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton and Eugene Levy are among the celebrities who have lost their homes in the wildfires that are tearing through several neighborhoods in Los Angeles, which have killed at least five people and destroyed more than 1,100 buildings so far.

Six wildfires raged in Los Angeles County. The affluent Pacific Palisades, home to many famous Hollywood names, has been devastated since the fires began on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, another fire broke out in Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills, with the Los Angeles Fire Department ordering an immediate evacuation of parts of the neighborhood.

Crystal, 76, and his wife, Janice, confirmed they had lost their Pacific Palisades home of 46 years in a statement Wednesday.

“Words cannot describe the immense devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We are grieving for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” Crystals said.

“Janice and I have lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that cannot be taken away. We are of course devastated, but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.

“We pray for the safety of the firefighters and first responders. Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of great people and we know that in time it will rise again. It’s our home.”

The home of Schitt’s Creek actor Levy, who is honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, also burned Wednesday. Levy has yet to comment, but spoke to the media Tuesday while stuck in traffic as residents evacuated. “I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark,” he told the Los Angeles Times.

Actor Cary Elwes confirmed Wednesday that his family was safely evacuated, but said his Malibu home was destroyed. “Unfortunately we lost our home, but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” he wrote. “Our hearts go out to all the families affected by this tragic event and we also want to thank all the firefighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly through the night and are still working.”

Actress-musician Mandy Moore posted a video of destroyed streets in Altadena near Pasadena on Instagram. “Honestly, I am in shock and numb to all that so many have lost, including my family,” she wrote. “Our community is devastated, but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to everyone affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”

Hilton said her Malibu home, where her young son took his first steps, was among those lost in the flames. “The devastation is unimaginable. Knowing that so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking,” she wrote.

Other celebrities who have lost their homes in the wildfires so far include actors John Goodman and James Woods, reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, songwriter Diane Warren and TV host Ricki Lake.

The actor Jamie Lee Curtis shared Wednesday that her home had survived, but said the Palisades church where she had attended sobriety meetings two decades ago had been destroyed. “Our beloved neighborhood is gone. Our home is safe. So many others have lost everything,” she wrote on Instagram.

With the entertainment industry brought to a halt by the fires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it would extend the deadline for voting in this year’s Oscar nominations by two days because of the fires. The Critics Choice Awards, which were due to be held on Sunday in Santa Monica, have been moved to January 26.

U.S. President Joe Biden has formally signed a federal disaster declaration that makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the county for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.

Fire weather – a combination of heat, drought and strong winds – is increasing in some parts of every continent. Anthropogenic climate collapse is responsible for a higher probability of fire and larger burned areas in southern Europe, northern Eurasia, the United States and Australia, with some scientific evidence of increases in southern China. Climate collapse has increased the wildfire season by about two weeks on average across the globe.