LA wildfires: Hollywood celebrities forced to evacuate as actor James Woods cries on CNN after losing home

Actor James Woods, 77, grew emotional during a CNN interview as he recounted evacuating his Pacific Palisades home, which was destroyed by the wildfires.

Fighting back tears, Woods described the moment his wife’s eight-year-old niece offered a touching gesture to help. “She came out with her little piggy bank for us to rebuild our house,” Woods said. Reflecting on the sudden loss, he added, “I’m sorry, it’s just one day you’re in the pool and the next it’s all gone.”

The wildfires, which have destroyed at least 1,000 structures and claimed two lives, have left countless families displaced, including Woods. Struggling to contain his emotions, he told CNN, “I’m sorry, I thought I was stronger than this…”

Woods had earlier posted a video on social media showing the view from his home before it was destroyed. Alongside the video, he wrote on X: “I took this last night from our beautiful little home in the Palisades. Now all the fire alarms are going off at once remotely. It tests your soul, losing everything at once, I must say.”

In the nearby Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, known from The Hills, revealed they have lost their home to the flames.

Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag documented the destruction of their Pacific Palisades home in real-time on social media. Pratt, 41, shared videos of water drops from firefighting planes on Instagram and packed belongings as the fire approached. In one video, he said: “I’m watching our house burn down on the security cameras.”

Montag, 38, became emotional as she asked her followers to “say some prayers for us” on Snapchat. Later, while standing in a supermarket, she explained, “So our house is on fire, and we were able to get out in time, but I keep going over and over in my mind of the things I should’ve got, but we’re out safe, and that is the most important thing, and Spencer is behind me.”

In another tearful post, Montag expressed her sadness, saying: “I’m so sad our house has gone.” She added that she had lost “everything we worked so hard for” and reflected, “life is so crazy,” as one of her two children comforted her by wiping away her tears.

In an update, Pratt wrote: “The one positive sign i saw as our house burned down was our sons bed burned in the shape of a heart. A sign of how much love was in this house so thankful for all the years and memories there with our family.”

Los Angeles has been declared in a state of emergency as the wildfires, fuelled by extreme weather conditions, forced more than 30,000 people to evacuate their homes. The situation worsened on Tuesday (January 7) when a second fast-moving wildfire broke out in Altadena. The wildfires come just weeks after the Franklin Fire in Malibu prompted evacuations of celebrities and residents, with significant damage to the area.

Notable figures impacted by the fires include:

Mark Hamill: The "Star Wars" actor evacuated his residence due to the advancing flames as he shared his experience on social media.

Mandy Moore: The actress and singer evacuated her Los Angeles home with her family. Moore posted on her Instagram Story, expressing uncertainty about the fate of her property, stating, "I don't know if our place made it."

Ben Affleck: The actor and filmmaker was among the residents who evacuated their homes in the affected areas. Affleck's property in the Pacific Palisades was under threat from the advancing wildfires.

Tom Hanks: The award-winning actor's residence in the Pacific Palisades was on the path of the wildfire, prompting evacuation measures. His son, Chet Hanks, said: "My childhood neighbourhood is burning to the ground."

Eugene Levy: The actor was evacuated due to intense smoke near Temescal Canyon. Levy described the scene as "chaotic and infernal" as he fled the area.

The wildfires have also led to the cancellation of several Hollywood events, including the Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination announcements, as the city remains under a state of emergency.