As smoke filled the air in the Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, residents have had to deal with yet another season of dangers and disastrous effects, this time more savage than previous years.
California is known for its hot temperatures and dry climate, the perfect fuel for wildfires to occur, from 2023 to 2024 there was a significant increase in the number of wildfires. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in 2023 there were 7,386 wildfires that burned 332,822 acres. Compared to 2024, 8,024 wildfires that burned 1,050,012 acres, with 2025 just beginning and the Palisade fires being so destructive, the future for residents is unsure.
Six fires have been simultaneously burning throughout California, which began Jan 7, around 14,000 structures have been burned, and a total of 29 people have been found dead. Currently four of these fires are still raging, but the effects are lasting.
One of the most controversial topics of these fires has been “Should we sympathize with those who have been affected?” The majority of the time, people without hesitation would feel sympathy for those struggling, however, in this situation it has been the wealthier areas that were affected the greatest.
Celebrities like Paris Hilton, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Mandy Moore, Mel Gibson, the list goes on. All live in the Pacific Palisades where the fires have been most concentrated, this area is known as the, “celebrity hideaway” many of many celebrities have suffered damage to their multi-million-dollar homes, some even being burnt to the ground.
One celebrity in specific, Leighton Meester, the actress who portrays Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, tragically lost her home due to the fires. She and her husband, actor Adam Brody, owned a 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom house in Pacific Palisades, where they lived with their two children, the house was burned to the ground, completely destroyed. From the Palisades Fire, the most destructive of the six ongoing fires, and maybe the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
Losing not just a house, but a home, is heartbreaking. Meester not being able to raise her kids in the house they always pictured being in must be very hard to cope with.
Another celebrity mentioned previously, Paris Hilton, lost her house in Malibu where it was burned to the ground by the Palisades Fire. In addition to speaking out about her tragic loss, Hilton has been working hard to raise money and volunteer through her nonprofit, 11:11 Media Impact, to help others who have been affected by the LA Wildfires.
On the other hand, others refuse to feel bad because most of these celebrities have more than enough money to rebuild their houses or even stay for the meantime in a second home.
Celebrities were not the only ones affected. Over 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the increasing hazards that the fires have brought.
In my opinion, these fires have been devastating for everyone who has suffered. Whether they have managed to remain comfortable during these challenging times or have struggled to make ends meet, everyone has lost something – and for a few, someone – which should not evoke feelings of resentment or joy.
