Hollywood actress calls LA fires ‘a disaster’ and says elected officials aren’t doing enough
Hollywood actress Elizabeth Chambers believes the government did not do enough during the Los Angeles fires.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Chambers, 42, was asked if she believed city officials were doing everything they could to contain the Los Angeles fires.
“I think it’s a disaster,” she said. “I don’t think anyone was prepared. I think it was on a scale that no one expected.”
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Elizabeth Chambers tells Fox News Digital what she held on to when she and her children had to evacuate during the Los Angeles fires. (Photo by Philippe Faraone/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Chambers shared her thoughts on billionaire real estate developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso.
“And then Caruso saved the Palisades Village… You can be involved in politics or not be involved in politics. But, at the end of the day, he had as much time as anyone else to prepare… I mean, it Not affected.
WATCH: Elizabeth Chambers calls LA fires ‘a disaster’ and says not enough is being done
“Music is still playing in Palisades Village as if this is Disneyland and everything around is destruction. So, do I think these measures were taken appropriately and quickly enough? Absolutely not.”
Caruso unsuccessfully ran for mayor against Karen Bass in 2022. “The city is absolutely poorly managed.”
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Rick Caruso blasts the lack of water in the Palisades. (Getty Images)
As the fire raged, Caruso told Fox 11 Los Angeles: “There was no water in the Palisades. There was no water coming out of the fire hydrants. It was definitely city mismanagement. It wasn’t the firefighters’ fault, it was the city’s fault.”
On January 7, deadly fires broke out in the Los Angeles area. Tens of thousands of residents had their homes and businesses destroyed and were forced to flee their homes. Officials said Thursday that more than 30 people were still missing and two others were dead, bringing the death toll to 27.
“So, do I think these measures were taken appropriately and quickly enough? Absolutely not.”
Firefighters watch a helicopter fight the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles, on January 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Chambers detailed the moment she had to evacuate, immediately packing up her and her children’s personal belongings.
“I took our passports. I took the birth certificates. I took pictures like this around the house…older family pictures,” she explained to Fox News Digital. “I was just packing for a few nights.”
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Chambers said that when she evacuated, she “took our passports. I took birth certificates. I took pictures like that…around the house…old family photos.” (Morgan Lieberman/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
The TV personality, who has two children with ex-husband Armie Hammer, shared how she teaches her younger children, daughter Harper, 10, and son Ford, 7 ) explains California’s tragic fires.
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“I think when it comes to parenting, you have to be the captain of the plane… If the captain panics, the passengers will panic. That’s how I approach parenting in general,” she told Fox News Digital.
Chambers has two children, daughter Harper, 10, and son Ford, 7, with ex-husband Armie Hammer. (Paul Brunogie/Patrick McMullan)
“But if the pilot of the plane doesn’t panic and say everything is fine, and you know you’re about to crash, then you don’t trust the pilot either. So, you know, it’s about transparency. It’s about having a really honest conversation and reassurance.
“You could say a lot of people are losing their homes right now. We have everything that matters. We are a family no matter what. We are healthy, we are together. We will always have a place to live, that’s what you can say, ” she pointed out.
WATCH: Elizabeth Chambers raises funds for LA fires with charity cupcakes
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Chambers is helping to raise funds for victims of the California fires through her charity, Cupcake for a Cause.
The Bird Bakery owner will donate 100% of proceeds from the Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes through February 1 to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
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Chambers’ company posted on Instagram earlier this week: “Over the past nearly 13 years in business, we have consistently created CUPCAKE FOR A CAUSE™️ to benefit the many tragedies and events within our community and beyond. This time is no exception.
“My children and I have been evacuated for the past seven days and we are still praying that our house is safe, but we are lucky. This is truly the most devastating unimaginable thing for so many people. It is our disaster that has the opportunity to help.
“It’s a vanilla cake with folded strawberry slices and lemon butter buttercream,” Chambers told Fox News Digital. “We’ve sold quite a few over the past few days and the money goes directly to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation ”
The flavor makes sense, she noted, because 90 percent of strawberries grown in the United States come from California, and “we’re turning lemons into lemonade.”
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Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
