L.A. Fires Another Brutal Blow to Battered Hollywood Crew Members

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On Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning, Dutch Merrick worked tirelessly to protect his home. With wildfires like the Eaton fire sweeping through the Los Angeles area, particularly Altadena, California, Merrick, a veteran prop master and armorer, took all necessary measures. He constantly watered his roof, plants, and dry leaves on his lawn using a hose, hoping to keep the flames at bay. However, as dawn approached on Wednesday, a shower of embers and cinders started to engulf his neighborhood. Fearing for his safety, he had to evacuate before sunrise.

Despite not having definite confirmation, Merrick is almost positive that his home has been destroyed. This painful realization comes after a string of difficulties faced by workers in the entertainment industry, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, double strikes in 2023, and the prolonged production slowdown that followed. Over the past few years, he’s managed to adapt by initiating new business ventures like a prop gun safety workshop and a live fire learning course. Unfortunately, all his materials for these classes were kept at home and, from what he surmises, have been destroyed in the fire. Now, Merrick feels compelled to begin anew – once more. “I’ve been constantly reinventing myself,” he admits. “And this has hit me hard.

He’s not by himself. For the local team members who have endured a tough few years, the Los Angeles wildfires have presented additional heart-wrenching hurdles. In just under two days, simultaneous fires have torched over 50,000 acres across the L.A. region, leading to the evacuation of over 100,000 residents and the destruction of more than a thousand buildings, some of which were homes belonging to entertainment industry workers.

Mike Miller, vice president of the IATSE crew union and head of its film and TV division, stated that numerous individuals in the entertainment industry and IA have faced difficulties due to COVID-19,” he said. “Unfortunately, these hardships are likely to worsen.” Miller approximates that at least hundreds of his union’s members reside in areas prone to evacuation in the county.

At present, the largest ongoing wildfire, known as the Palisades Fire, started in the upscale coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, near the ocean, has expanded over approximately 15,000 acres and remains completely uncontained. To the east, the Eaton fire has burned through more than 10,000 acres in regions including Altadena and Sierra Madre, and it too is not under control.

In contrast to the well-known Palisades residents such as Billy Crystal, Tom Hanks, and Ann Sarnoff, Merrick highlights that many individuals within the entertainment industry also call Altadena home. He describes Altadena as a hidden architectural gem with homes dating back to the 1870s, 1920s, and 1950s, surrounded by lush greenery and nestled off the main roads. Interestingly, there is even an Altadena film community with its own Facebook group. On Wednesday, This Is Us star Mandy Moore shared on social media that she had to evacuate and unfortunately lost her home in Altadena.

Diego Mariscal, the administrator of the well-known Facebook and Instagram account Crew Stories and a dolly grip, shares that four of his close friends have tragically lost their homes due to wildfires. One of these homes, situated in Altadena, was being utilized as an exterior filming location for a show he’s currently working on, Apple’s Shrinking. “It’s hard to put into words,” he states. “This experience underscores the fact that we’re all equal. Money doesn’t make a difference – whether you’re rich or poor – these fires don’t discriminate.

On Wednesday, amidst the fiery blaze, IATSE Local 80, a grip and craft services union based in Burbank, graciously offered their sound stage as an emergency shelter to local residents. Simultaneously, on Tuesday evening, the international union sprang into action by activating its disaster response committee. This committee provides emergency financial aid for union members severely affected by such crises.

However, even those crew members not directly impacted by the wildfires may experience its consequences in the upcoming days. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Fire Department ordered a halt to all filming permits in Altadena, La Crescenta, La Canada/Flintridge, and unincorporated Pasadena. In response, entertainment companies swiftly paused production on shows such as ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Max’s Hacks, and NBC’s Suits: L.A, which were currently being filmed in the county.

Despite the uncertainty about how long these production halts will last, they follow significant delays that significantly reduced job opportunities for local staff. In the third quarter of 2024, filming days in the L.A. region decreased by 48% compared to the average of the past five years, and television productions dropped more than 53%. Consequently, some entertainment workers have moved to more secure professions or left Los Angeles entirely due to these reductions.

Governor Gavin Newsom is planning to boost California’s film and TV tax credit program, aiming to attract entertainment work back to the state. His proposed budget for 2025 (still pending approval) would significantly increase the annual funding for production incentives, raising it from $330 million to a staggering $750 million.

Despite the prospect of a possible financial aid, Mariscal, the head of Crew Stories, fears that the wildfires might push some employees who are already struggling financially to their limits. “I think they’ll just give up,” he states. “If you were barely able to pay your mortgage and now your home has been destroyed, which was essentially your financial security for the future… it’s heartbreaking.” However, there will be others who will rebuild and resume their work, as that is what people tend to do in such situations.

IATSE leader Miller contends that crew members are accustomed to challenges and will likely opt for a more difficult path, albeit with increased wear and tear. “Our team members are tough,” he asserts. “We’ll be there to bolster them, and I have faith that we’ll weather this storm. However, it is undeniable that this situation will impose additional hardships on numerous individuals within our sector who are already finding things difficult.

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2025-01-09 05:55