The relentless wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles are spreading fear and devastation. One prominent figure feeling the impact is Jamie Lee Curtis.
On January 8, the beloved 66-year-old actress and producer appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As she recounted her experiences with the nearby wildfire, emotion overwhelmed her.
Curtis had just taken off for New York City, where she was set to join Jimmy Fallon, when distressing news broke that flames were threatening her Pacific Palisades home.
Thankfully, her home survived the ordeal. Sadly, however, many of her neighbors weren’t as fortunate, suffering tremendous losses as the fire ravaged their community.
“I’m on the verge of tears”
Appearing on The Tonight Show to promote her latest movie, The Last Showgirl, Curtis was instead swept away by emotion when the issue of the wildfires surfaced.
“I’m on the verge of tears because of the warm welcome,” she began, visibly moved by the audience’s applause. One enthusiastic voice from the crowd shouted, “You’re beautiful!”
Through tears, she said, “As you know, where I live is on fire right now. The entire city of the Pacific Palisades is burning.”
Recalling the gravity of the news, she expressed, “I flew here last night, got texts on the plane. It’s unbelievably gnarly, a disaster in Southern California.”
She was heartbroken for the victims, saying, “Horrific fires have happened in many places, but this is my neighborhood. The store where I shop, the schools my kids attended. Countless friends have lost their homes.”
A Plea From the Heart
Her voice tinged with sorrow, Curtis expressed her urgent need to go back to L.A. “It’s really awful. I’m flying home tomorrow to be with my family and help my friends.”
Making a heartfelt plea, she urged the audience to assist the American Red Cross. “Support the Red Cross, whether you’re on the West Coast or not. They’re there to help. Donate blood, time, money—anything helps.”
Curtis, as a proud ambassador for the Red Cross, pressed on the importance of readiness, “Have an emergency kit with essentials like prescription glasses, medicines, food for pets, baby formula—everything you’d need if you had to leave in a hurry.”
On Instagram, she shared a tear-jerking image of her cherished church in Pacific Palisades, now in ruins. “This church in the Palisades offered comfort, had a wonderful school, and hosted countless baptisms, funerals, weddings. I got sober here 25 years ago,” she wrote.
“Countless souls found solace here and people reclaimed their lives through sobriety,” she added with poignant reflection.
Eager to Return to Her Family
Curtis, who shares two daughters—Ruby, 25, and Annie, 34—with her husband, writer Christopher Guest, emphasized her determination to return to her family and lend support to her community. “It’s a terrible situation. I’m heading home tomorrow to be with my family and aid my friends,” she reiterated.
So far, the fires have taken at least five lives. Around 2,000 structures have been reduced to ash, leaving thousands of residents with nothing left. As emergency teams work round-the-clock, they contend with dry and windy conditions that threaten to worsen the situation.
