Tom Hanks homes: Hollywood actor's $26m Pacific Palisades mansion narrowly avoids being engulfed by Los Angeles fires

Nearly 40,000 residents in the Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas of Malibu and Santa Monica were forced to evacuate. As of Thursday (9 January), the fire remains entirely uncontained.

Hanks' white cliffside mansion has appeared virtually untouched by the fires. His 4,513 square-foot house was situated just far enough away from the actor's nearest neighbour, whose home was completely destroyed by fire.

There was no debris visible on Hanks' roof or on his spacious back. The so-called Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on LA's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - or some 53 square miles.

Several other celebrities have seen their homes burn down including Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton. Crystal and his wife, Janice, released a statement on Wednesday saying their home of 45 years in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood was lost.

Hilton posted a news video clip on Instagram and said it included footage of her destroyed home in Malibu. She said: “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.

The Top Gun star, Miles Teller, and his wife have also lost their home. The couple bought the 6,600 square foot, Cape Cod style villa in April 2023 and it was located between the Palisades Bluffs and Palisades Village. They paid $7.5 million for the home that was built in 2015 and had three storeys with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

At least 10 people have been killed by the fast-moving wildfires tearing across the Los Angeles area, while a suspected arsonist, allegedly armed with a “flamethrower,” has been arrested. The Kenneth fire broke out north of the Palisades fire on Thursday, threatening homes near Calabasas and Hidden Hills.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it believed the blaze was started intentionally. Later on Thursday, a man was restrained by citizens using zip ties after allegedly attempting to light a fire in Woodland Hills, before being detained, Sean Dinse of the LAPD’s Topanga Division told KTLA 5.