The largest and most destructive fires in Los Angeles' history continue to wreak havoc and spread to new neighborhoods. Over 130,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, leaving behind all their belongings with no certainty of having a home to return to. Among the evacuees are dozens of Israelis living in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and Hollywood Hills.
Dorit Rotenberg, 66, has lived in Pacific Palisades for more than 20 years. On Tuesday morning, she left her home with her husband, dog and cat. “We weren’t prepared to leave on such short notice, so I grabbed a few clothes shoes, and important documents, and we left. Friends of ours in the neighborhood didn’t want to leave because they hoped to save their house, but they were eventually forced to evacuate by the firefighters. That’s when we learned from them that our house had burned down,” she said.
Satellite images of Los Angeles fire
(Video: Reuters)
Rotenberg and her husband are now staying with friends in Thousand Oaks. “It’s hard for me to process that we no longer have a home. Our insurance doesn’t cover fires—it’s a special insurance you need to purchase, similar to earthquake insurance, which we also don’t have. I have no idea what we’re going to do. It’s an enormous heartbreak. We left our entire lives behind in that house, and at our age, it’s not easy to start over,” she said.
The Chabad rabbi of Pacific Palisades, Zushe Cunin, reported that many members of his congregation lost their homes in the fires. “All day Tuesday and throughout the night, I tried to contact 250 community members, but I didn’t hear back from them,” he said. According to the rabbi, some refused to evacuate in a desperate attempt to save their homes from the advancing flames.
While the synagogue was spared, the storage facility was destroyed, along with 16 menorahs and cars used to transport children and seniors to and from the Chabad center.
Noa Goldberg, who lives in the Highlands neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, managed to leave her home only at 3 p.m., when the flames were already dangerously close. “I tried to leave earlier, but it was impossible. Cars were gridlocked and couldn’t move anywhere,” she explained.
“I was panicking. My husband was out of town, so I was alone and didn’t know what to do. I waited until firefighters cleared the stuck vehicles so I could get out. As I drove away, I saw homes burning on every side. All the neighborhood’s beloved restaurants, the grocery store, the supermarket—every business was gone. Complete devastation. I felt like I was in hell.”
Goldberg has temporarily moved in with her daughter in West Hollywood, but even there, she feels unsafe. “The fires have reached Hollywood Hills, and I’m afraid they’ll keep spreading. We might have to evacuate from here too,” she said.
The neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades, nearby Malibu, Altadena and Hollywood Hills—where the fires are most severe—are known for their luxury homes. Many celebrities have been forced to evacuate and have reported losing their homes. “One day you’re swimming in the pool and the next day it’s all gone,” Emmy and Golden Globe winner James Woods told CNN tearfully.
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Actor Billy Crystal issued a statement saying he and his wife are heartbroken after losing their home, where they had lived since 1979. “We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away,” said the Jewish actor.
Paris Hilton also lost her home. In a post on Instagram, she wrote, “Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience.”
Other celebrities who evacuated their Pacific Palisades homes include Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Adam Brody, Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler and Michael Keaton.
Anger at officials and Trump’s warning
Fierce winds reaching speeds of over 60 mph fueled devastating wildfires across Los Angeles, stretching from one end of the city to Pasadena, an hour's drive away. The city’s historic synagogue, which had served the community for over 100 years, was also devastated in the fire, including a kindergarten building that was completely consumed by flames.
"Our center is gone," said CEO Melissa Levy in a phone interview. "But right now, we’re more focused on our members, many of whom lost their homes or are terrified their houses will burn. We’ll think about rebuilding later."
In a message sent to congregants on Wednesday morning, synagogue leadership assured members that the Torah scrolls had been safely removed and stored at a community member's home.
By Wednesday evening, the fires had reached Hollywood Hills, threatening iconic landmarks such as the Hollywood Bowl, the Walk of Fame, El Capitan Theatre, Madame Tussauds Museum and the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Former Miss Israel Ilana Shoshan evacuated her home as flames spread across the hill on the opposite side of Laurel Canyon.
Residents of Los Angeles nursing home evacuated in wheelchairs
Leah Aaron, another local resident, fled with her husband and two children to Santa Barbara, two hours north of Los Angeles. "Just yesterday, I felt sorry for those living in Pacific Palisades, and today I find myself in this surreal situation," she said. "I can’t stop watching TV and crying. I’m terrified our house will burn, even though the fires haven’t reached our street yet. We were evacuated due to poor air quality and the risk of the fires spreading."
Leah and her family are staying at a hotel, hoping to return home soon. "We bought our house just two years ago, renovated it, and invested so much in it. This feels like a nightmare I can’t wake up from," she said.
Many respondents expressed anger at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who defunded the fire brigade after taking office in December 2022. "I admire and respect our firefighters—they work so hard—but they don’t have enough manpower," said Leah. "They also didn’t have enough water and had to bring water from the ocean to fight the fires."
Goldberg criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to address the issue of forest management and clearing dry vegetation. "Donald Trump warned him to deal with the dry brush that’s a ticking time bomb, but he chose to ignore it," she said. "We barely get any rain here, so everything is extremely dry. Just one spark, and it all goes up in flames. Newsom’s negligence is criminal."
Trump, who has repeatedly warned Newsom about California’s wildfire challenges, highlighted the issue in a 2019 tweet:
"The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers.”
He added that Newsom often seeks federal assistance when fires rage: “No more. Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states," Trump wrote.
The damage from the fires is estimated at $57 billion, including property destruction and economic losses.