CELEBS battled to get rooms at one of the most exclusive hotels in Los Angeles after fleeing the wildfires ravaging the city.
Stars such as Dennis Quaid and Sarah Michelle Gellar were seen trying to secure rooms at the Hotel Bel-Air, a high-end establishment where luxurious accommodations can cost as much as £15,000 per night.
Quaid, 70, arrived with his wife Laura Savoie, 34, while rocker Tommy Lee, 62, accompanied by his wife Brittany Furlan, 38, were also seen outside the iconic Hollywood hotspot.
Actress Gellar, 47, known for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, arrived with her actor husband Freddie Prinze Jr, 48. Other celebrities such as Batman actor Michael Keaton, 73, and actor-producer Rob McElhenney, 47, were also seeking shelter as wildfires continued to spread in the nearby Pacific Palisades, an area inhabited by many A-list stars.
At least five other infernos were burning across Los Angeles last night with the death toll standing at 11, with 13 missing.
It came as it was reported that faults in LA’s power grid may have caused the devastation which has so far destroyed 12,000 buildings and seen 153,000 residents ordered to evacuate.
Powerful 80mph winds threatened to fan the fires further afield yesterday as officials disclosed that 37,000 acres of land had already been scorched.
Frequency and Great Balls of Fire! star Quaid got out by beating a retreat to the boutique 1922-built Bel-Air.
He has described how the blaze 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 here, and this is the worst one bar none. It came up so suddenly.”
A witness revealed that when Quaid first pulled up 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 came back out and got in their car.
“It appeared they didn’t get a room but they were later seen coming back at about 8pm.”
Gellar and her husband were also seen driving off following a late afternoon arrival.
The actress, who owns a colonial-style property in the Mandeville Canyon neighbourhood close to the Palisades, is among many to slam authorities over their handling of the disaster.
She wrote on social media: “City of LA you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping.”
McElhenney, co-owner of League One club Wrexham FC, wrote earlier in the week: “Our family is safe. So many homes, whole neighbourhoods are just . . . gone.”
Those taking sanctuary at the Bel-Air are in good company as the hotel has long been a haunt of movie greats.
Movie greats
Regular guests have included Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly.
It was the setting for Marilyn Monroe’s last Vogue shoot six weeks before her death in 1962.
But as the stars sought refuge the conflagration, which began on Tuesday, extended its threat.
The fire has been moving East and North to close in on the high-end Brentwood and Encino neighbourhoods.
It triggered new evacuation orders and fears that the ultra-exclusive Bel-Air area may itself also be under threat.
Among those who call Brentwood home are actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, 77, and US Vice President Kamala Harris, 60.
‘I pray that this nightmare ends soon’
Fellow resident LeBron James, 40, who plays for the LA Lakers basketball team, said: “I pray that this nightmare ends soon.”
The Getty Center, which houses one of LA’s largest art collections, is also in Brentwood.
Most employees have evacuated, leaving only an emergency staff.
It was claimed yesterday that power grid problems soared in those neighbourhoods where the fires first raged.
Bob Marshall, boss of Whisker Labs, which monitors electrical activity, said there were spikes in faults in the hours beforehand in the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst areas.
He said that his analysis showed the power was not immediately shut off and blazes may have begun with “tree limbs touching wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching”.
Federal authorities, meanwhile, have declared a health emergency owing to the poor air quality caused by huge plumes of smoke and ash.
State leaders have come under attack for the lack of preparedness.
LA Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley accused the city’s mayor Karen Bass of failing residents and firefighters with tight budgeting.
She told a TV station: “We are screaming to be properly funded to make sure that our firefighters can do their jobs.”
Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Spencer Pratt, 41, who lost his Palisades home, said he intended to file a lawsuit against the state of California for negligence after fire crews failed to arrive.
The dad of two said: “I watched from my security cameras until our house burned down. There were no fire trucks.”
Prevent looting
A 6pm to 6am curfew has been imposed in the worst-hit areas to prevent looting.
Members of the National Guard — the equivalent of the UK’s Army Reserve — have been drafted in to help enforce it.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said 22 people had so far been arrested for curfew violations, trespassing, burglary and looting.
He said yesterday that it was unclear how the blazes began and urged the public to get in touch if they have useful information.
He added: “We are not going to leave any rock unturned if this is a criminal act . . . everything is absolutely on the table.”
