Pacific Palisades Fire Update: Evacuation Underway As Million-Dollar Celebrity Homes Threatened

A steadily spreading brush fire close to the celebrity community of Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles consumed more than 40 acres in about an hour Monday morning and forced authorities to order limited evacuations as a precaution.

A mandatory evacuation was ordered for residents of Charmel Lane to the West, Bienveneda Ave to the East, Merivale Lane to the South and the end of Lachman Lane to the North. Some homeowners were seen spraying hoses on the hillside while others evacuated their homes.

Eyewitnesses said flames came within feet of the backyards of some of the million-dollar homes along Vista Grande Drive and Charmel Lane.

The evacuations covered about eight residential blocks and some 200 homes under threat from the flames, according to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Patrick Butler. He also said a civilian and a firefighter have been injured.

LAFD firefighters were still battling the stubborn blaze Monday evening and took consolation from the lucky situation that winds weren't very strong. The fire also didn't appear to be spreading very quickly, said LAFD, but firefighters are having a tough time as they have to battle the fire going uphill.

The fire, which began 10:40 a.m. PST, quickly spread uphill and has kept burning on steep hillside terrain. Helicopters are bombarding the fire with water. The water bombing appeared to have kept the flames from spreading to the many of the luxury homes.

"This is an extremely challenging fire for hand crews," said one LAFD official to TV station abc7. "They're essentially clawing their way up this hillside with rocks coming down at them."

LAFD said 150 city and county firefighters are battling the blaze from the ground and the air.

"We're hitting it hard and fast," said Brian Humphrey, LAFD spokesman.

The fire isn’t threatening Los Angeles County residents. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said there is no reason to evacuate LA county.

Located west of downtown Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades has been famous as the preferred community for movie stars, celebrities, sports stars, politicians and political bigwigs. It’s also been the location of many Hollywood movies and TV shows. There was even a TV soap opera, "Pacific Palisades," which aired in 1997 on Fox.

Among the notable past and present residents of Pacific Palisades are Ben Affleck, J.J. Abrams, the late James Arness, Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Geena Davis, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Gardner, Goldie Hawn, Anthony Hopkins, the late Mel Blanc, the late Jerry Lewis, Stevie Nicks, John Mayer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the late president Ronald Reagan and Steven Spielberg.