CELEBS have been scrambling to get rooms at one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive hotels after fleeing the wildfires ravaging the city.
Stars including Dennis Quaid and Sarah Michelle Gellar were among those vying for beds at the Bel-Air Hotel, where luxury rooms cost up to £15,000 a night.
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Dennis Quaid was among the Hollywood stars fighting for beds at the Bel-Air HotelCredit: BackGrid
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Sarah Michelle Geller was also seen outside the hotel where luxury rooms cost up to £15,000 a nightCredit: BackGrid
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Rocker Tommy Lee and wife Brittany Furlan were among those spotted out and about. Credit: BackGrid
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Arnold Schwarzenegger lives in the upscale neighborhood of Brentwood where the fire has now startedCredit: Splash
Quaid, 70, and wife Laura Savoie, 34, and rocker Tommy Lee, 62, and wife Brittany Furlan, 38, were among those spotted outside the historic Hollywood favorite.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Gellar, 47, and actor husband Freddie Prinze Jr, 48, Batman actor Michael Keaton, 73, and actor and producer Rob McElhenney, 47, were among those seeking shelter as the fires continued to rage in nearby Pacific Palisades – home to many A-listers.
At least five other infernos burned in Los Angeles last night, with the death toll at 11 and 13 missing.
It came after it was reported that faults in LA’s power grid may have caused the devastation that has so far destroyed 12,000 buildings and prompted orders to evacuate 153,000 residents.
Strong winds of 80mph yesterday threatened to fan the blaze further as officials announced 37,000 hectares of land had already been burnt.
Frequency and big fireballs! star Quaid got away with retreating to a Bel-Air boutique built in 1922.
He described how the fire came within 100 yards of his Palisades property.
Quaid said, “I’ve been through several fires here in California in my 45 years in and around the area, and this is the worst one bar none. It appeared so suddenly.”
A witness revealed that when Quaid first stopped at the hotel with his wife and their dog Peaches, they soon left again.
The witness said: “They were inside for about 40 minutes and they went outside and got into their car.
Devastating pictures show celebs’ LA mansions burnt to the ground, including John Goodman and Leighton Meester in bushfires
“They did not appear to have been given a room but were later seen returning at around 8pm.”
Gellar and her husband were also seen driving after arriving in the late afternoon.
The actress, who owns a colonial-style estate in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood near the Palisades, is one of many who have criticized authorities for their handling of the disaster.
She wrote on social media: “City of LA, you want everyone to evacuate, but you have total gridlock and no traffic police on the roads to help.”
McElhenney, co-owner of League One club Wrexham FC, wrote earlier this week: “Our family is safe. So many homes, whole neighborhoods are just . . . gone.”
Those seeking refuge at the Bel-Air are in good company as the hotel has long been a haven for movie greats.
Movie giants
Regular guests included Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly.
It was the location of Marilyn Monroe’s last Vogue shoot six weeks before her death in 1962.
But as the stars sought refuge, the fire, which started on Tuesday, increased its threat.
The fire moved east and north to approach the upscale neighborhoods of Brentwood and Encino.
That prompted new evacuation orders and fears that the ultra-exclusive Bel-Air area could also be at risk.
Among those who call Brentwood home are actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (77) and US Vice President Kamala Harris (60).
‘I pray this nightmare ends soon’
His colleague LeBron James (40), who plays for the LA Lakers basketball team, said: “I pray that this nightmare ends soon.”
The Getty Center, home to one of LA’s largest art collections, is also in Brentwood.
Most of the employees evacuated, and only emergency personnel remained.
Yesterday it was claimed that problems with the power grid had increased in those neighborhoods where the fires first raged.
Bob Marshall, head of Whisker Labs, which monitors electrical activity, said there were spikes in outages in the hours before in the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst areas.
He said his analysis showed the power was not cut immediately and the fires may have started by “tree branches touching wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching each other.”
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Quaid and wife Laura Savoie outside the historic Hollywood favorite Hotel Bel-AirCredit: BackGrid
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A helicopter drops water in an attempt to extinguish the fire from the air Credit: Getty
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Dennis Quaid’s Pacific Palisades mansion looks unscathed after fireCredit: BackGrid
Federal authorities have since declared a public health emergency due to poor air quality caused by huge clouds of smoke and ash.
Heads of state were attacked for being unprepared.
LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley accused Mayor Karen Bass of failing residents and firefighters on a tight budget.
She told a TV station: “We are screaming to be well funded to make sure our firefighters can do their jobs.”
Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Spencer Pratt, 41, who lost his Palisades home, said he plans to file a negligence lawsuit against the state of California after fire crews failed to arrive.
The father-of-two said: “I watched from my security cameras until our house burned down. There were no fire trucks.”
Prevent robbery
A 6pm to 6am curfew has been imposed in the worst-hit areas to prevent robberies.
Members of the National Guard — the equivalent of the United Kingdom’s military reserves — have been drafted in to help enforce it.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said so far 22 people have been arrested for curfew violations, trespassing, burglary and robbery.
He said yesterday that it was not clear how the fires started and urged the public to come forward if they had useful information.
He added: “We will leave no stone unturned if this is a criminal offense. . . everything is absolutely on the table.”
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