Universal Studios Hollywood, longtime Malibu restaurants and other L.A.-area business affected by the fires
As winds whip through Southern California, scores of businesses — from local restaurants and community institutions to film and television productions and a major theme park — have been affected by the fires burning in the region.
The Palisades fire has burned more than 15,000 acres, destroying numerous homes and businesses in the Pacific Palisades area. The Eaton fire has burned more than 10,000 acres and many structures in the Pasadena and Altadena areas, while the Hurst fire near Sylmar has burned more than 500 acres.
More than 100,000 residents are under evacuation orders because of the wildfires burning across Los Angeles County. Red flag warnings remain in effect for L.A. County and much of Ventura County through Thursday.
Already, several long-standing businesses have been lost, including ocean-front restaurant Moonshadows in Malibu and the Reel Inn, a casual seafood restaurant and a Malibu institution for more than 30 years. All of the restaurant’s staff members are safe, its owners said.
“We are so grateful for the 36 years we’ve been a part of the community. Grateful to all of our customers. We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left,” owners Teddy and Andy Leonard wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday evening.
Longtime Vegetation around the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades caught fire late Tuesday, though the museum’s structures were not affected, and its staff and collections are safe, the museum said in a post on X. The Getty Villa will be closed at least through early next week, and the Getty Center in Brentwood will be closed through Sunday “out of caution and to help alleviate traffic in the area,” the museum said.
Livestock and pet supplies store Malibu Feed Bin was also destroyed after 60 years in business, the store wrote in a Facebook post.
Universal Studios Hollywood and its CityWalk shopping area were closed Wednesday due to the fires and extreme wind conditions in Southern California. The theme park said it will “continue to assess the situation” and expects to reopen Thursday, according to a statement on its website.
“The safety of our team members and our guests is our top priority,” the statement said. Many NBCUniversal employees on the lot were told to work from home.
The theme park wasn’t the only Hollywood institution affected by the fires. ABC canceled Wednesday night’s taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in Hollywood and plans to air a repeat episode instead. TV productions such as “Doctor Odyssey” and “Grey’s Anatomy” were also postponed. Disney’s offices in L.A. were closed and the company said it encouraged L.A. area employees to stay home.
CBS productions also scheduled to tape Wednesday — “The Price Is Right” game show hosted by Drew Carey, “NCIS,” “NCIS: Origins,” “The Neighborhood,” “Poppa’s House” and “After Midnight” — were similarly postponed.
NBCUniversal put several television and film productions on hold because of the inability of crews to access portions of its famed studio lot. The company confirmed that production of “Hacks,” “Happy’s Place,” “Loot,” “Suits LA” and “Ted” went dark Wednesday.
Productions on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank also have been shut down, the studio said.
The extreme wind conditions and raging fires also led to the cancellation of several film premieres and screenings scheduled for Tuesday, including Amazon MGM Studios’ “Unstoppable” and Universal Pictures’ “Wolf Man.” The Wednesday premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “A Better Man” also was canceled, as was the Critics Choice Awards, which was set for Sunday in Santa Monica, according to Variety.
The scope, devastation and geography of the fire have shaken the entertainment industry.
Multiple stars, including Eugene Levy and Steve Guttenberg, and Hollywood executives and producers live in Pacific Palisades because of its proximity to the ocean and the studio lots. Malibu provides the coastal stretch and particularly high-priced oceanfront homes. More modest workers live in Burbank, Glendale, Altadena and Pasadena — communities that are on the fringes of the mountains.
In an interview on KTLA-TV, Guttenberg urged viewers to leave their keys in their cars if they had to abandon their vehicles along an exit route so first responders and others helping with the fire could clear the road for emergency vehicles.
“This is not a parking lot,” he said on air. “We really need people to move their cars.”
The growing wildfires also affected food delivery apps such as DoorDash, which suspended service Tuesday in areas surrounding Pacific Palisades. The San Francisco company halted service in Santa Monica, Westwood, Brentwood, Calabasas and Pasadena along with San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Northridge.
DoorDash said it would adjust its operations as it learns more about the conditions.
“We deeply appreciate the patience and understanding of Dashers, merchants and consumers, and will resume operations as soon as it’s safe to do so,” DoorDash spokesperson Julian Crowley said in a statement.
Firefighters have been battling fires on multiple fronts while dealing with wind gusts that have hit 100 mph. L.A. county officials said Wednesday that fighting the three major fires has hugely taxed the crews as well as resources.
Times staff writers Queenie Wong, Alexandra Del Rosario and Julia Wick contributed to this report.
