Evacuation orders lifted after Hollywood Hills fire endangers iconic Los Angeles landmarks

LOS ANGELES — Fire activity has decreased and evacuation orders have been lifted after another fast-moving brush fire erupted in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, this time in the iconic Hollywood Hills, adding strain to firefighting efforts in Southern California.

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued an evacuation order shortly after 6 p.m. local time Wednesday for portions of the Hollywood Hills, a celebrity-populated neighborhood in central Los Angeles. As of 9:45 p.m. local time, the blaze, dubbed the Sunset Fire, consumed at least 60 acres and remained 0% contained, according to Cal Fire.

"Fire activity has DECREASED," The Los Angeles County Sheriff's West Hollywood Station said on X. "The fire has been updated to be 60 to 100 acres but is now mostly burning within the perimeter LAFD worked quickly to develop."

Mandatory evacuations were issued for Laurel Canyon Boulevard on the west to Mulholland Drive on the north to 101 Freeway on the east down to Hollywood Boulevard on the south. Evacuating warnings were also issued for areas north of Sunset Boulevard between the city of Beverly Hills and the neighborhood of Hollywood.

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The majority of evacuation orders were lifted about two hours after they were issued, but the area north of Franklin from Camino Palmero Street to North Sierra Bonita Avenue will remain closed until Thursday morning "to ensure no flare ups endanger residents," the Los Angeles Fire Department said in its most recent update.

"Residents are asked to be cautious when returning to their homes because firefighters are continuing to work in their neighborhoods," Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said in a statement.

Cal Fire said the LAFD was responding to the blaze. Los Angeles Police Department officers were deployed to Hollywood to assist with alleviating evacuation traffic, according to Mayor Karen Bass.

"We are working urgently to close roads, redirect traffic, and expand access for LAFD vehicles to respond to the growing fire," Bass said in a statement on X.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's West Hollywood Station advised people to keep clear of the area for emergency personnel and warned residents to "be prepared, pack important documents and gather family, children and pets now."

The city of Beverly Hills said on X that its fire department is closely monitoring the Sunset Fire, which sparked near homes and the popular Runyon Canyon hiking trails. The city said authorities have declared parts of Beverly Hills, areas north of Sunset Boulevard and east of Coldwater Canyon Drive, as a voluntary evacuation zone.

'It feels like we’re being surrounded by the fires'

The fire is located about 10 miles southwest of the world-famous Hollywood Sign. The stretch of Sunset Boulevard near the fire is lined with well-known tourist destinations and landmarks, such as the TCL Chinese Theatre, which said in a social media statement Wednesday night that the theatre was closed and employees had been sent home.

The Hollywood Bowl, an iconic music landmark that has hosted numerous artists and symphonies since its opening in 1922, announced Wednesday night that it was under an evacuation order due to the Sunset Fire. The venue also said that all staff members were safely evacuated from the premises.

Images and videos shared on social media appeared to show the fire spreading uphill while a large plume of smoke moved toward the Hollywood area.

Gary Baseman, 64, of Los Angeles, is about one of two dozen people who gathered at the top of an eight-story parking structure at The Grove, an upscale outdoor mall in Los Angeles, to watch the brush fires in Hollywood Hills. "I just needed to see for myself what’s going on," said Baseman, an artist.

Michael Carsh, who said he lives a mile away, peered at the fire and smoke through binoculars. "I felt pretty safe, and now looking at this, it’s pretty scary. It feels like we’re being surrounded by the fires."Carsh, 49, pointed to an area between the parking structure and the fire. "I have friends that live there and they’re holding out right now. But I’m saving a room for them."

Dan Frieber, 39, said he lives in an apartment about 20 blocks from the brush fire and thought the roof of the parking structure would be a safe place to watch.

"This fire is like the darling of them all. It’s the one everyone cares about now," Frieber said. "No disrespect to the Palisades. This is just a bit more of the heart of L.A."

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(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iconic Los Angeles landmarks threatened by Hollywood Hills blaze