Hollywood cancels film premieres as firefighters battle ‘extreme’ wildfire
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The Hollywood premieres of Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez, and Ryan Gosling-produced Wolf Man have been cancelled as 30,000 people were ordered to evacuate a rapidly growing wind-driven wildfire in California. People living in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, home to numerous A-list celebrities, were told “don’t wait, evacuate” by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services as the blaze burned more than 1,200 acres within five hours.
“Los Angeles is currently experiencing an extreme fire weather condition with red flag alert,” the Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said during a press briefing. “The fire is being fueled by a combination of strong winds and surrounding topography, which is making it extremely challenging for our personnel that are assigned to this incident.
She confirmed there had been no injuries, but multiple structures had been damaged in the blaze which saw more than 250 firefighters – including 46 engines and five helicopters – on the scene. The rapidly growing fire led to event cancellations in Hollywood, including the premiere of monster tale Wolf Man, starring Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott.
“Tonight’s premiere of Wolf Man is cancelled due to sensitivities around the worsening weather situation in LA and related evacuations,” a Universal spokesperson told the PA news agency. The star-studded premiere of Unstoppable, a biopic of US wrestler Anthony Robles who won a national championship with one leg, was also cancelled following the evacuation orders.
