Pacific Palisades Los Angeles: Actor Steve Guttenberg jumps in to help crews battle 'most unbelievable fire I've ever seen'

Steve Guttenberg, known for his roles in movies like “Police Academy,” “It Takes Two” and “Three Men and a Baby,” was caught by local news station KTLA 5 on Tuesday (7 January) moving cars to make room for fire trucks to drive into the endangered community. He is helping fire crews as they battle a raging brush fire in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

Guttenberg spotted newsman Gene Kang as he reported live on KTLA’s noon broadcast and interjected to share an “important announcement.” He said: “If anybody has a car and they leave the car, leave the keys in the car so that we can move your car so that these firetrucks can get to Palisades Drive.

“What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot. This is not a parking lot.”

He added: “We really need people to move their cars. So if you leave your car behind, 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”.

Guttenberg, who lives in the area, shared that he has friends who are under an evacuation order but are unable to leave because of the traffic jam on Palisades Drive. He said: “There are people stuck up there. So we’re trying to clear Palisades Drive and I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars.

“There are families up there, there are pets up there. There are people who really need help.” Guttenberg has been hailed as “heroic” by users on social media as videos of his interview circuclate online.

The brush fire threatening the Pacific Palisades was first reported around 10:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday after dangerous winds began sweeping through Los Angeles. While there have been no injuries in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, a number of homes have been damaged and lost.

Many A-list celebrities have homes in the neighbourhood including Tom Hanks, Miles Teller and Ben Affleck. More than 250 firefighters including 46 engines and five helicopters are on the scene. “Don’t wait, evacuate” said an advisory by California governor’s office, while vice president Kamala Harris issued a statement saying her “heart goes out to all those impacted”.