Steve Guttenberg jumped right into action to help others from the California wildfires. Los Angeles has been ravaged by the flames recently, leaving destruction on the state’s prized coastline while leveling entire neighborhoods. He awoke to the devastating wildfire in the Pacific Palisades area. Though his property was spared, Guttenberg’s neighborhood was left unrecognizable. With homes torn apart, streets emptied, and friends having to evacuate, Guttenberg found himself fortunate.
Steve Guttenberg Jumps into Action
Guttenberg had a hard time reconciling relief with the traumatic sight of his ravaged community. “Just this morning, I woke up, and I was really conscious of my mental state and my mental health because the last three days, I’ve seen so much tragedy.” He also noted that about 20 homes in his neighborhood were burned “pretty bad” in his 80-home community. Though his home is intact, there is still a lot of damage surrounding it due to the fires.
Jimmy Kimmel aired a tearful return to his hit show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, on Monday night addressing the wildfires. He showed some footage of the wildfires, especially those close to where the show is filmed. Kimmel also highlighted that many employees on the show had to evacuate from their homes while others lost their homes in the fires. Many stars in Hollywood sent their thoughts and prayers to those affected by fires. Additionally, the Oscars had delayed their nominations due to the disasters caused by the fires.
Guttenberg jumped into action and helped residents to evacuate to safety. The actor wore a facemask and a light blue cap, making it difficult to recognize the star quickly. In speaking with KLTA, he told people who left their cars to leave their keys so they could make space for fire trucks. Guttenberg said, “What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in the parking lot. This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars.” Recently, the fires spread its flames across 1,260 acres.
Guttenberg said he had friends who couldn’t evacuate safely because of the traffic jams on Palisades Drive. Guttenberg said, “There are people stuck up there. So we’re trying to clear the way, and I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars,” Guttenberg said while pointing to the hill where traffic was moving slowly. At the end of the interview, posted by a user on his X account, the reporter thanked Guttenberg and asked for his name. Guttenberg revealed his identity to the reporter and showed him where he lived.
Guttenberg Gives His Story of The Fires
Guttenberg candidly assessed the chaos from the fires in his community.” Though the actor’s $5 million home was spared, the inferno obliterated many celebrity mansions in the area, including properties belonging to Paris Hilton, Heidi Montag, Anna Faris, and Ricki Lake. Bill Hader’s home also survived the fires, while his neighbors were less fortunate. Guttenberg taking action to help others is a positive piece of news, unlike celebrity feuds and tragic celebrity deaths from last year.
Guttenberg speaks about his experience from the past week, “It’s last Tuesday morning, 9 o’clock. Everything was idyllic. By 10:45 a.m., the sky was dark, and it was a bloom of smoke as high as the highest skyscraper you’d ever seen. Before I knew it, the fire was coming down the hill on both sides. The public school was starting to release their kids, and all the parents were out. Police told everybody to abandon their cars because the fire was so close.” He shared details about the disaster and assisting an older man in a wheelchair.
Additionally, Guttenberg urged people to unite as a community: “Try to be thoughtful and kind all year round because we’re not one street, one town, one city, one nation. We’re one planet—one community.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom also responded to some claims from Republicans who said that federal aid provided to the state should be conditional and put some policy changes in place. He made his claims in an interview on MSNBC, which he posted to social media.
He empathized that he is looking to meet the needs of Americans, saying, “I’m not meeting Democrats, I’m not meeting Republicans. I’m not meeting Californians. I’m meeting American citizens desperate in need. What they need is empathy, care, compassion, understanding. They need support. Not rhetoric, not strings attached.” Newsom also criticized some of the Republicans for politicizing the tragedy.
Final Thoughts
Guttenberg’s helping others is an excellent testimony of community and resilience. Instead of being passive and saving himself, he went to help others in need. His courage in overcoming such a crisis highlights his compassion and the need for unity and community in adverse situations. While many are left to grapple with loss and grief, Guttenberg’s aid of others serves as a potent reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always room for compassion, hope, and togetherness.
