Los Angeles was built on myth, but in 2025 the city has also contended with real-world catastrophe. Several high-profile TV and film productions in the region were suspended in recent months due to wildfires that ravaged neighborhoods Hollywood Hills, Pacific Palisades among them.
Grey’s Anatomy, Abbott Elementary, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! all felt the ripple. Smoke choked sets, permits were delayed, safety became uncertain. Behind the scenes, crews scrambled to shift or pause.
In one Vanity Fair account, the Palisades fire destroyed property and displaced locals, causing location teams to abandon scouting, equipment to retreat, and delays in post-production.
The disruption isn’t just logistical. It’s existential. In a city where entertainment is a sacred export, when fire threatens, the stakes are cultural, financial, and deeply personal. The fires are a reminder: Hollywood is built on land, not myth. When soil burns, infrastructure wobbles. And when identity fractures, stories become haunted.
