top of page

Is the Hollywood Sign safe from fires? Here’s where it is in relation to evacuation zones

Wildfires continue to rage in California on Thursday morning, threatening landmarks and prompting tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.

While the three main wildfires − Palisades, Hurstand Eaton − began on Tuesday, another small but fast-moving fire erupted in the wooded area of Hollywood Hills around 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The Sunset Fire has since engulfed more than 40 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. As of Thursday morning, the fire was 0% contained.

Here's what to know about how the wildfires are affecting Hollywood Hills and the iconic Hollywood Sign.

Is the Hollywood Sign in danger by the wildfires?

The Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee was not in any immediate danger from the wildfires, as of Thursday morning. The Hollywood Sign was not in evacuation order or evacuation warning areas.

See the location of the Hollywood Sign marked by the red star in the image below.

Griffith Park, which includes the Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles Zoo, Autry Museum of the American West and Griffith Observatory, is closed for safety precaution, Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust, confirmed.

The Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills is located more southeast of Mount Lee, concentrated near Runyon Canyon Park, which is about 7.5 miles from the Hollywood Sign.

Wildfire updates and analysis: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter.

Fires burn tens of thousands of acres in Los Angeles area

The Palisades Fire started burning around 10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday and has scorched more than 17,000 acres between Santa Monica and Malibu. Around the same time, the Hurst Fire began in the San Fernando Valley northwest of downtown Los Angeles, burning about 850 acres. The Eaton Fire began around 6:30 p.m. local time near Pasadena, torching more than 10,600 acres.

As of Thursday morning, at least five people had died, while the Palisades and Eaton Fires were 0% contained and the Hurst Fire was 10% contained, according to Cal Fire.

In addition to the Sunset Fire, the Lidia Fire also began Wednesday night in Acton. As of Thursday morning, the fire had burned more than 340 acres and was 40% contained, according to Cal Fire.

Authorities are continuing to investigate how the wildfires started.

Before the fires started, the National Weather Service issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The weather service warned that wind gusts could reach up to 100 miles per hour and combined with low humidity and dry vegetation, the result could be dangerous.

Comments


1/473

LATEST NEWS​​

bottom of page