DECRYPTION – On January 7, violent fires broke out in Los Angeles and reduced Pacific Palisades, the favorite neighborhood of celebrities, to ashes. This corner of the City of Angels had become a refuge for stars in search of tranquility. Zoom.
Today, nothing remains of Pacific Palisades. On January 7, forest fires broke out a few kilometers from this upscale district of Los Angeles. In the space of just a few hours, flames penetrated the multimillion-dollar homes of billionaires, but also those of many stars from around the world. On Instagram, celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Patrick Bruel and Laeticia Hallyday have shared images of their properties in ashes. The mother of Jade and Joy Hallyday had found in the streets of this “village” much more than a home but a “refuge” after the death of Johnny Hallyday in December 2017. Focus on this district which was, just a few days ago, the El Dorado of the stars.
Founded in 1921 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, a Protestant religious group wishing to create a quiet and spiritual community, it was especially in the 1930s that Pacific Palisades attracted the eye of celebrities and artists because of its proximity to studios in Los Angeles, but also for its idyllic location. This popular district of the City of Angels is located at the western end of the city, between Malibu and Santa Monica, with a view of the region’s hills on one side and a view of the region’s hills on the other. the Pacific Ocean as far as the eye can see. “The benefit of living in this neighborhood is being only a 20 minute drive to Beverly Hills, 20 minutes to the airport and 15 minutes to Malibu while still being isolated”reports Hervé Tropéa, French journalist living in Los Angeles and author of the books, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: the secrets of the divorce of the century et Celine Dion – the real story. The perfect place to live far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.
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Pacific Palisades: an ultra-secure community neighborhood
Much more than a residential neighborhood with multi-million dollar homes, Pacific Palisades had become a place where celebrities enjoyed a peaceful life, could walk their children to school, go to the farmers’ market on Sundays, or still drink a coffee on the terrace, without any risk of being disturbed. “Its isolation and intimacy” were what differentiated it from other neighborhoods in Los Angeles, assures the journalist. In Pacific Palisades “you didn’t feel like you were in the city like Hollywood or West Hollywood” because there was “much less car traffic”but also because it was “one of the rare places that was still preserved by nature with cliffs and natural parks”.
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Pacific Palisades remained a small, very community-based neighborhood where neighbors had established bonds. They gathered on Friday evenings around a barbecue, during the Fourth of July parade, during charity events or on a golf course at the famous Riviera Country Club. A place where stars and wealthy people felt safe just a few days ago. “It has created a truly prestigious community with extremely private and secure residences. There are also many private security companies which regularly carry out surveillance rounds in the neighborhood every day. Added to this are private schools under high protection and very exclusive billionaires’ clubs. explains Hervé Tropéa.
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Faced with the violence of this natural disaster, the famous residents of this neighborhood had difficulty hiding their grief when they discovered they had lost their house, but also all the memories they were able to build in the streets of Pacific Palisades. After learning that his property was destroyed by the flames, Patrick Bruel declared with emotion on his Instagram account: “Oscar was 13 years old, Léon 11 years old when we arrived…It’s very hard to see the roots that we have worked so hard to build disappear. It was a beautiful anchor, another refuge”. Since the beginning of the tragedy, Jamie Lee Curtis, a lucky resident of Pacific Palisades who did not see her home disappear in the fires, has been committed to helping the victims, and has not hidden her shock at seeing her neighborhood reduced to ashes. . “It is a shocking view, from the air, of what was once a robust, thriving and beautiful community of faith, families, friends, creativity and commerce,” she wrote in the caption of a photo of the area on the social network. An idyllic living environment gone up in smoke overnight.
As the fires continue to ravage Los Angeles, the stars are mobilizing. In addition to Jamie Lee Curtis, this Tuesday, January 14, Beyoncé announced that she was donating $2.5 million to the Los Angeles Fire Relief Fund, which helps families affected by the disaster. For her part, Halle Berry emptied her entire wardrobe in order to benefit destitute fire victims. A surge of solidarity necessary during this sad period.
