Shocking images of the neighborhood home to America’s ultra-rich before and after the disaster: “It looks as if an atomic bomb was just dropped.”

Wildfires Devastate Los Angeles: Unprecedented Disaster Unfolds

As of January 10, wildfires continue to rage across the Los Angeles area (California, USA), forcing 180,000 people to evacuate. An additional 200,000 residents have been warned of potential evacuation if the fire’s spread worsens.

At least seven people have lost their lives in what has been deemed the worst natural disaster in the history of the “City of Angels.”

Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna stated, “To be honest, we still don’t know the exact death toll.” He added grimly, “It feels as if an atomic bomb was dropped on this area. Even as we announce the death toll, I fear the numbers may continue to rise.”

The total burned area in Los Angeles has now reached 117.3 square kilometers. Among the blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires are the largest, collectively destroying over 11,300 hectares.

The Palisades fire, which has ravaged one of the most opulent neighborhoods in the United States, has reduced luxurious mansions to ash.

To date, the fire has destroyed approximately 300 structures and damaged around 13,300 others, including properties belonging to world-renowned stars and the global elite.

Before-and-After Photos Highlight Devastation

Comparative photos taken before and after the disaster have left viewers shocked at the sheer scale of destruction.

The Palisades fire, first reported on January 7, rapidly grew from an 8-hectare blaze to over 80 hectares in just 20 minutes. By the end of January 8, it had scorched nearly 6,500 hectares in the hills between Santa Monica and Malibu.

Authorities have declared this the most devastating fire in the city’s history, an unprecedented catastrophe with no parallels in the past.

Actors including Paris Hilton, John Goodman and Billy Crystal are among those to have lost multimillion-dollar houses in the wildfires

The Pacific Palisades home of Sir Anthony Hopkins was among those destroyed

The Los Angeles wildfires have laid waste to almost 2,000 homes including those owned by many of Hollywood’s rich and famous.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman and Billy Crystal are among the celebrities to have lost their multimillion-dollar houses over the past two days. The largest blaze has consumed nearly 12,000 acres in Pacific Palisades, a picturesque neighbourhood between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu that is home to many film, television and music stars.

The actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody lost their $6.5 million home in Pacific Palisades. Others whose houses have burnt down include the socialite Paris Hilton, and Miles Teller, star of Top Gun: Maverick.