Numerous sites with a place in film and cultural history have been among the thousands of buildings burned or damaged by this week’s catastrophic wildfires in Southern California.
Authorities say at least six people have been killed in the Los Angeles region fires, which have destroyed homes, businesses, and schools at a startling rate. Pacific Palisades, a wealthy enclave west of downtown Los Angeles that the Beach Boys mentioned in Surfin USA, their 1963 hymn to sunny coastal California living, is one of the regions most severely affected.
The following are a some of the famous sites that have sustained damage:
Palisades Charter High School: This public school has frequently used as the backdrop for Hollywood movies, such as the 2003 Freaky Friday remake starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis and the 1976 supernatural horror classic Carrie. According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, it is one of several schools in Los Angeles County that have suffered severe fire damage.
About 30% of the high school’s campus was damaged, according to schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho.A striking image of him climbing a concrete staircase that once led to a school building but now looms over nothing but debris was published by the Los Angeles Times.
According to the Times, the majority of the damage was to the athletic facilities and the rear of the campus, although the main building of the high school remained intact Wednesday.
Actor and singer Katey Sagal, singer-songwriter Will.i.am, and filmmaker J.J. Abrams are among the graduates of the high school. When the fire began, almost 3,000 of its students were on winter break.
Will Rogers ranch house: Until his passing in 1935, actor Will Rogers occupied this 31-room home. In 1944, his widow, Betty, gave the ranch to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, which created a state park on the property. The house and other buildings on the property were burned by the Palisades Fire, according to a news release from the department. The National Register of Historic Places had listed the ranch house.
“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero, “and California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources.”
Topanga Ranch Motel: Built in 1929 by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the Topanga Ranch Motel is also owned by the state parks department. When it first opened, the bungalow-style motel in Malibu provided writers and families with a cheap haven across from Topanga Beach. Over the years, it made appearances on television and in movies, such as the Bridget Fonda picture Leather Jackets in the 1990s.
About 20 cabins were to be restored for public use after the state parks department purchased the motel in 2001. In a news statement, the agency acknowledged that the motel had been burned by the Palisades Fire.
In an online campaign, the staff of the renowned fish restaurant Reel Inn Malibu announced that, after 36 years of operation, they had lost their cherished establishment.A video showing smoke and fire embers surrounding the restaurant was released by the Malibu Times.
The Reel Inn, a mainstay along the Pacific Coast Highway, was a favorite of both locals and famous people, such as comedian Jerry Seinfeld and model Cindy Crawford.
The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center: This early 20th-century synagogue was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. “The Torah scrolls were safely removed from the property, and staff members evacuated Tuesday night,” executive director Melissa Levy told NBC Los Angeles.
Theater Palisades, Pierson Playhouse: According to its website, this community theater in the Pacific Palisades, which was established by three television writers in the 1960s, has halted operations due to the significant damage caused by the Palisades Fire.
The Bunny Museum: Known as the only museum in the world dedicated to all things bunny, this quirky museum in Altadena showcased more than 45,000 artifacts relating to rabbits. Its largest collection of rabbit products had earned it multiple Guinness World Records certifications.
After reporting that the museum had burned down, staff members said on Facebook: “Not a happy day, today.”