Los Angeles fire: Critics Choice Awards postponed, Oscar nominations delayed as wildfire claims 5 lives. New dates out

As wildfires tearing through Los Angeles claim five lives, Hollywood has postponed its annual Critics Choice Awards gala, news agency AFP quoted organizers as saying. It was originally set for this weekend.

Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin said the ceremony, which honours the year's best in film and television and is attended by dozens of A-list stars, will not occur on Sunday.

The Critics Choice Awards have been postponed until February 26, reported news agency AP.

Oscar nominations delayed

The Oscar nominations will also be delayed by two days to January 19, as the Film Academy extends the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires.

Other Hollywood cancellations and postponements 

Premieres of contenders like “Better Man” and “The Last Showgirl” have also been cancelled, the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced via press release instead of at a live event, and weekend events like the AFI Awards have also been preemptively scrubbed.

Among several other cancellations, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park was closed for the day due to smoky and windy conditions, while J Paul Getty Trust said two of its museums, the Getty Villa and Getty Center, would remain closed for the next few days.

Universal Studios also cancelled shooting for numerous series, including “Hacks,” “Ted Lasso”, and “Suits LA.”

The Walt Disney Co has closed its headquarters in Burbank and cancelled production on several series, including Grey’s Anatomy and Doctor Odyssey. ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, taped in Hollywood, was also cancelled for Wednesday and will air a repeat instead.

The American Film Institute awards gala, scheduled for Friday, has also been postponed.

Fire in Hollywood Hills

LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said a new wildfire broke out in scrubland in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills, adding to the five other blazes raging in the county.

These blazes have burned several celebrities' homes and forced stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods, to evacuate.

Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton are among the stars who said they had lost homes in the fires.

Fires that started on Tuesday have killed at least five people, with more deaths feared, law enforcement said. The terrifying blazes have levelled whole streets, torching cars and houses in minutes, as they stretched firefighting resources and water supplies to the limit.

Multiple wildfires have erupted around America's second-biggest city, burning more than 1,000 buildings and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

A thick smoke wafted over many parts of Los Angeles. More than half a dozen schools in the area were either damaged or destroyed, including Palisades Charter High School, which featured in many Hollywood productions, including the 1976 horror movie “Carrie” and the TV series “Teen Wolf,” officials said.

A federal disaster

US President Joe Biden has formally signed off on a federal disaster declaration.

The White House says the declaration allows for federal funding to be made available to impacted individuals in Los Angeles County for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs aimed at helping individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

(With agency inputs)