Steve Guttenberg Says Pacific Palisades Blaze Is “the Most Unbelievable Fire I’ve Ever Seen”

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As a Pacific Palisades resident myself, I’m personally witnessing a wildfire that has taken my breath away – it’s the most incredible, shocking blaze I’ve ever encountered in all my years here.

The actor, who made an appearance on CNN last Tuesday evening, was among the 30,000 people faced with evacuation orders following a fire that erupted approximately at 10:30 a.m. earlier in the day. On CNN, he shared his experience of the daytime events, stating that due to the heavy smoke, it seemed as if “the sky was as dark as it would be during the night.” (See images for reference.)

Gutenberg expressed concern for those attempting to flee the affected region, mirroring sentiments shared with KTLA previously. Along the Pacific Coast Highway, he exited his vehicle to offer assistance, only to witness a distressing sight.

There were mothers experiencing panic attacks and small children crying. The roads were congested with stationary vehicles for over two kilometers, creating a hazardous situation as police were being summoned. Throughout the day, I was relocating these cars up the slope in an attempt to clear a path for the fire trucks to pass.

He was driven to his car around 6 p.m. 

He observed that trees were falling on Sunset Boulevard, further noting a widespread destruction as Gelson’s grocery store, the Palisades Playhouse theater, and the Palisades Woman’s Club were ablaze. He stated that Temescal Canyon was completely engulfed in flames, with houses on both sides burning, and the school also caught fire.

He also spoke about having empathy and needing to help people at this time.

“This is a really important time for us to remember … we are one big community,” he said.

Previously on Tuesday, Guttenberg explained to KTLA his efforts in aiding the situation. He detailed how he was working to clear roads for evacuation purposes, enabling residents to leave safely and providing better access for firefighters to tackle the flames.

He mentioned that people seem to be treating this area as if it were a parking lot by taking their keys with them. However, this isn’t a parking lot. We urgently need folks to move their vehicles. If you must leave your car here, please keep the key inside so someone like me can move it out of the way for fire trucks to reach their destination.

Guttenberg said he was walking up Palisades Drive moving cars.

Speaking from my heart, I can assure you that there are individuals, families, and even beloved pets residing up there. These folks find themselves in dire straits, desperately needing a helping hand.

Living in this particular neighborhood are well-known personalities such as Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Michael Keaton, Miles Teller, Michael Mann, Ann Sarnoff, Carol Lombardini, Alan Bergman, Kathleen Kennedy, and James Woods.

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The neighborhood is inhabited by several famous figures including Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Michael Keaton, Miles Teller, Michael Mann, Ann Sarnoff, Carol Lombardini, Alan Bergman, Kathleen Kennedy, and James Woods.

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This area is home to a number of celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Michael Keaton, Miles Teller, Michael Mann, Ann Sarnoff, Carol Lombardini, Alan Bergman, Kathleen Kennedy, and James Woods.

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The residents of this region include prominent personalities such as Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Michael Keaton, Miles Teller, Michael Mann, Ann Sarnoff, Carol Lombardini, Alan Bergman, Kathleen Kennedy, and James Woods.

On Tuesday evening, the fire expanded to cover approximately 2,900 acres, with no progress made towards containing it. Additionally, a separate fire ignited in Altadena, which lies around 45 miles from Palisades. Regrettably, several buildings have been destroyed, including Palisades High School, and multiple events have been postponed or canceled due to the fire.

Jackie Strause and Hilary Lewis contributed to this report.

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2025-01-08 07:55