So far 16 people have died in the Los Angeles fires, which reportedly burned over 37,000 acres of land and destroyed about 12,000 homes, including those of Hollywood celebrities such as Paris Hilton—who was forced to watch her house burn to the ground during a news broadcast—Mel Gibson, Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Ed Harris and many others.
Other stars were forced to evacuate their homes following the fires and move to safety, one of whom is reality star Kim Kardashian—who decided to take advantage of her endless financial resources to try to save her home and gardens on her own—and got away with it.
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Kim Kardashian contributed to the hydrants running dry
(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
The Daily Mail reported Sunday morning that several of Hollywood's biggest and richest stars, including Kardashian, decided to break water conservation laws to tend to their huge gardens—before the fire hydrants ran dry following the devastating wildfires. Kardashian was accused of "wasting vital water resources that could have been used to save homes."
Since 2022, stricter measures have been taken to save water, with "ordinary" residents limited to watering their gardens twice a week for eight minutes each time, while Kardashian was fined by city authorities that year for using 232,000 gallons of water more than her allocation. Many other celebrities, including Sylvester Stallone and comedian Kevin Hart, have also been fined.
"These celebrities feel like they deserve everything," one of Kardashian's neighbors scolded. "Everyone was told to cut back on water precisely for this situation, to preserve it to fight fires. They carried on watering because they could afford the fines."
Some celebrities living in the area have also reportedly hired the services of independent firefighters, paying them $2,000 an hour to guard and protect their property. Chris Dunn, owner of Covered 6, which provides services to Hollywood's wealthy, told the Mail Online: "My phone is ringing off the hook, the demand has never been higher."
Another source with an inflated bank account who insisted on remaining anonymous said: "This week’s events have shown you can’t trust the city to protect your property. I have the money, so why not?"
Angelina Jolie volunteering to help fire victims
However, it seems that not all Hollywood celebrities were put off by the selfish material, and some were quick to volunteer for the public good, such as recently divorced actress Angelina Jolie , who, together with her son Knox, went out to purchase bottles of water and food for those affected by the fires.
Jolie was photographed by a passerby and asked about her donation, but refused to elaborate and only said that she was hosting friends in her home who had to evacuate their homes.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis also said that she donated $1 million to disaster relief, comparing the harsh sights to those in Gaza.
Jason Oppenheim, the most sought-after real estate agent in Hollywood and star of Seling Sunset, announced that his agency would represent anyone affected by the fires pro bono. "If you lost your home in the Los Angeles fires and need to find another place until your home is rebuilt, all Oppenheim Group agents will represent you free of charge or refund any commission we receive on the transaction," he wrote on social media.
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Sharon Stone and Halle Berry also immediately joined in the effort. "I'm packing my entire closet," Berry wrote on Instagram, adding, "If you live in the Southern California area, I encourage you to do the same. This is something we can do right now."
Stone spread the word about the donations on social media, which helped attract media attention. She and her sister Kelly donated clothing and bedding. The extensive offering included boxes of new underwear from Target, almost new Zara dresses and luxury items like Gucci and Ferragamo shoes.