Prince Harry and Meghan urge Californians to help homeowners hit by wildfires

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex urged Californians to open their doors to people whose homes have been destroyed by the wildfires sweeping through southern California.

With thousands of houses reduced to ashes, Prince Harry and Meghan, who live in Montecito about 90 miles from the heart of the blaze, appealed to those who have emerged unscathed to rally round the victims of the devastation.

“If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do. And be sure to check in with any disabled or elderly neighbours to see if they need help evacuating,” they wrote in a statement posted to their Sussex.com website.

“Some families and people have been left with nothing. Please consider donating clothing, children’s toys and clothing, and other essentials. The American Red Cross is on the ground helping those in need.”

With at least 30,000 acres of Southern California alight, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman and Paris Hilton have emerged as the latest Hollywood stars whose homes have been impacted by the catastrophe.

The largest blaze consumed nearly 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares) 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.

Goodman, whose hometown of New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, is understood to have lost his home to the flames.

It was unclear whether the actor, 72, was in Los Angeles or in Louisiana, where he has lived since 1989, as the fires spread.

Curtis was close to tears when she appeared on the Jimmy Fallon late night chat show.

“As you know, where I live is on fire right now. Literally the entire city of the Pacific Palisades is burning,” the 66 year-old-actress who is also Lady Haden-Guest because of her marriage to Lord Haden-Guest, a hereditary peer.

She said she started receiving texts about the unfolding catastrophe while on a plane flying back from New York to California.

Credit: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

“It’s just a catastrophe in Southern California,” she continued. “Obviously there have been horrific fires in many places. This is literally where I live.”

Earlier, on Instagram, she wrote “My community and possibly my home is on fire. My family is safe. Many of my friends will lose their homes. Many other communities as well.”

Billy Crystal, 76, who has lived in the Pacific Palisades with his wife Janice since 1979, saw his 6,793 sq ft home destroyed.

“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbours who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” he said.

“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away,. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.”

Jeff Bridges was another victim with his Malibu home, which has been in the Bridges family for generations destroyed.

Paris Hilton described how she was “heartbroken beyond words” when she discovered her family home had gone.

“This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London,” she continued. “While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family is safe.”

The film industry has also had to cope with the impact of the fires, pushing back the deadline for Oscar nominations by two days.

Adrien Brody, the winner of the New York Film Critics Circle 2025 Awards, struggled to control his emotions after being named best actor for his role in The Brutalist.

“It’s always hard to accept something like this when there’s so much suffering in the world. My heart goes out to all the families, animals and all our colleagues. This is our community.”

Amazon MGM Studios and Universal Studios were forced to scrap premieres of “Unstoppable” and “Wolfman.” Paramount and Max cancelled the screenings of “Better Man” and “The Pitt”.

There was some temporary respite from the winds, which had reached 58 mph on the San Gabriel Mountains.

But it is feared they will intensify as firefighters continue to battle the wildfires.

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According to the National Weather Service gusts could pick up to 70mph, warning that the conditions had created a “particularly dangerous situation”.

In all, 180,000 Angelinos fled the area as the authorities warned of danger to life, with five people having already died and it is estimated that at least 2,000 homes have been lost.

Many have decamped to hotels where they have been spared price gouging which is illegal under California law.

The fires also led to an outbreak of looting, with at least 20 arrests, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Amid the devastation Karen Bass, the Los Angeles mayor, came under attack over the wildfires, which forced her to return to the city from Ghana.

She was criticised for the lack of preparation including fire hydrants running dry.

“We also know hydrants are not designed to deal with this type of massive devastation and that the number one problem especially on Wednesday was the fact that we weren’t able to do air support because of the wind,” Ms Bass said.