Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton and Eugene Levy are among the celebrities who lost their homes in the wildfires in several Los Angeles neighborhoods. So far, at least five people have died and more than 1,100 buildings have been destroyed.

Six wildfires raged across Los Angeles County. The affluent Pacific Palisades, home to many Hollywood celebrities, has been devastated since the fires began on Tuesday. Another fire broke out in Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, prompting the Los Angeles Fire Department to order an immediate evacuation of parts of the neighborhood.

Crystal, 76, and his wife Janice confirmed in a statement Wednesday that they had lost their home of 46 years in Pacific Palisades.

“Words cannot describe the extent of the devastation we are witnessing and witnessing. We mourn our friends and neighbors who also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” the Crystals said.

“Janice and I had lived in our house 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 of course heartbroken, but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.

“We pray for the safety of firefighters and first responders. The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of great people and we know that in time it will rise again. It’s our home.”

The home of Schitt’s Creek actor Levy, who is honorary mayor of the Pacific Palisades, was also burned Wednesday. Levy has not commented yet, but spoke to the media Tuesday while stuck in traffic as residents were evacuated. “I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark,” he told the Los Angeles Times.

Actor Cary Elwes confirmed Wednesday that his family had been safely evacuated, but said his Malibu home was destroyed. “Sadly we lost our home, but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” he wrote. “Our condolences go out to all the families affected by this tragic event, and we also want to thank all the firefighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly throughout the night and continue to do so.”

Actress and musician Mandy Moore posted a video on Instagram of destroyed streets in Altadena near Pasadena. “Honestly, I am shocked and feel numb to everything that so many have lost, including my family,” she wrote. “Our community is broken, but we will be here to rebuild together. I send love to everyone affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”

Hilton said her Malibu home, where her infant son took his first steps, also fell victim to the flames. “The devastation is unimaginable. “To know that so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking,” she wrote.

Other celebrities who have lost their homes in the wildfires so far include actors John Goodman and James Woods, reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, songwriter Diane Warren and television host Ricki Lake.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis said Wednesday that her home survived, but said the Palisades Church where she attended sobriety meetings two decades ago was destroyed. “Our beloved neighborhood is gone. Our home is safe. So many others have lost everything,” she wrote on Instagram.

With the entertainment industry crippled by the fires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it would extend the deadline for voting on this year’s Oscar nominations by two days due to the fires. The Critics Choice Awards, which were scheduled to take place on Sunday in Santa Monica, have been postponed until January 26th.

US President Joe Biden has officially signed a federal disaster declaration, allowing federal funds to be made available to affected individuals in the county for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property damage.

Fire weather – a combination of heat, drought and strong winds – is increasing in some parts of every continent. Human-caused climate decline is responsible for a higher likelihood of fires and larger burned areas in southern Europe, northern Eurasia, the US and Australia, with some scientific evidence of an increase in southern China. The climate breakdown has extended the wildfire season worldwide by an average of about two weeks.