The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said on Thursday as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.
The Kenneth Fire started late Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.
About 400 firefighters remained on scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.
Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s two devastating wildfires.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment Thursday.
The fire has ravaged several famous landmarks from TV and film.
The high school where Brian De Palma brough Stephen King’s “Carrie” to life, Will Rogers’ ranch house and a motel owned by William Randolph Hearst are among some of the famous structures that have been damaged or destroyed.
Los Angeles is a town full of landmarks, thanks to its co-starring role in over a century of filmed entertainment. Some famed spots — like the Hollywood Bowl, the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held — initially seemed imperiled by the Hollywood Hills fire, yet remained at least largely unharmed Thursday. But the fires have taken a toll on some familiar sites.
There was “significant damage” to Palisades Charter High School, though the main campus building stands. Founded in 1961 and built for a reported $6 million, the high school currently serves some 3,000 students throughout the Los Angeles area, though they were not in session this week.
FAMOUS CREDITS: De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of “Carrie,” starring Sissy Spacek as the outcast teen, is perhaps Pali High’s most recognizable credit. It’s also played high schools in the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday,” with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, the Kirsten Dunst movie “Crazy/Beautiful,” the Anne Hathaway film “Havoc,” the television series “Teen Wolf” and “American Vandal” and the music video for Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.” Notable alumni include filmmaker J.J. Abrams, actors Jennifer Jason Leigh and Forest Whitaker, musician will.i.am, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House, a property dating back to the 1920s, was completely destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Built on 186 acres in the Pacific Palisades area, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it had 31 rooms, corrals, a stable, riding ring, roping arena, polo field, golf course and hiking trails. It was where the famed actor (once one of the highest paid) and radio personality would ride horses and practice roping before his death in 1935. His widow, Betty Rogers, gave the property to the state in 1944 and it became a historic state park.
FAMOUS CREDITS: The state park was featured in the 1975 Barbra Streisand sequel “Funny Lady.”
The Palisades Fire also destroyed the Topanga Ranch Motel, a 30-room, bungalow-style motel built by William Randolph Hearst in 1929. The property had been uninhabited and deteriorating for nearly 20 years, but there were plans for a restoration and reopening in the works.
FAMOUS CREDITS: The 1970s television series “Mannix” as well as an episode of “Remington Steele,” the 1986 Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy movie “Blue City” and the 1991 Bridget Fonda movie “Leather Jackets.”
