The Japan Times - Celebrities forced to flee Los Angeles blazes

The world's entertainment capital was besieged by out-of-control blazes that were burning on multiple fronts, spread by hurricane-force winds that had left hundreds of firefighters almost helpless.

Dozens of homes were known to have been lost in the swanky Pacific Palisades area, a favorite spot for celebrities where multimillion dollar houses nestle on beautiful hillsides.

Emmy award-winning actor James Woods posted a video on X showing flames engulfing trees and bushes near his home as he got ready to evacuate, and shortly afterward said all the fire alarms were going off.

"I couldn't believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one," Woods said.

"Star Wars" star Mark Hamill told his followers on Instagram that he had fled his Malibu home on Tuesday.

"Evacuated Malibu so last-minute there were small fires on both sides of the road as we approached PCH," he wrote, referring to the Pacific Coast Highway, a scenic road that connects seafront settlements.

The Luke Skywalker actor said he and his wife Marilou York, along with a pet dog, had gone to their daughter's Hollywood home to escape what he dubbed the "most horrific fire since ’93."

Steve Guttenberg -- star of 1984 comedy "Police Academy" -- was among those helping get people out of Pacific Palisades as the fire began spreading on Tuesday.

The "Cocoon" actor expressed frustration at how some of those fleeing the blaze had abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the ritzy neighborhood.

"If you leave your car... leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there. It's really, really important," he told a live television broadcast.

"This Is Us" actress Mandy Moore was also among those who fled, taking her children and pets with her, according to an Instagram post.

"Praying and grateful for the first responders," she wrote.

Reality TV personalities Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt from "The Hills," an MTV show that ran until 2010, said they had lost their house after evacuating.

"I'm watching our house burn down on the security cameras," Pratt wrote on Snapchat.

Y.Hara--JT