Steve Guttenberg and Neighbors Spared by Fire So Far Have 'Banded Together' to 'Stand and Fight' (Exclusive)
After the fires ignited on Jan. 7, Guttenberg helped residents evacuate their homes in the area
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Steve Guttenberg in 2024Steve Guttenberg’s Pacific Palisades home survived the Los Angeles wildfires — but new winds are leaving it vulnerable once again, and he's doing what he can to keep his neighborhood safe as the fire rages on.
"At this time I have the choice of sitting down and walking or standing up and doing what I can. I choose to stand and fight. And help," the Police Academy star and author tells PEOPLE exclusively.
A source says Guttenberg, 66, who confirmed to the Associated Press on Friday, Jan. 10. that his house survived the initial blazes, has banded together with several neighbors whose homes also made it.
"They are having meals together, working on getting brush out of the way, trying to put out smoldering fires, and fighting embers in the air," the source says, adding, "They have been getting food and necessities, portable heaters, water, through rapid relief groups and sharing everything, and basically are taking care of each other."
The source notes that with the rising winds, things are getting scary again.
"Today the winds are kicking up so he’s trying to clear and clean up as much as possible in the neighborhood. It's really a game of wait and see."
The actor, who made headlines when he was seen on the news helping others evacuate from the Palisades on Jan. 7, later recalled witnessing at least 20 homes burned “pretty bad” in his neighborhood when he returned after evacuating.
The actor compared the tragedy he witnessed over the last couple of days to a sudden death.
“It’s like when someone dies suddenly,” he told the AP. “It’s like when someone gets hit by a car. You never expect that to happen. That’s how shocking it was.”
KTLA 5/Youtube
Steve Guttenberg speaking to KTLA on Jan. 7, 2024Speaking with KTLA on Jan. 7, Guttenberg urged people to leave the keys in their cars as they evacuated so it would be easier to move them when emergency vehicles needed to pass.
“What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot. This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars," he explained to the outlet. "If you leave your car behind, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there.”
“There are people stuck up there. So we’re trying to clear Palisades Drive and I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars," he added.
Related: Celebrities Who Have Lost Homes in the Los Angeles Fires, and What They've Said
A rep for Guttenberg told PEOPLE that the actor was doing "okay" and confirmed he continuing "trying to help" following his earlier heroic efforts.
This isn't the first time Guttenberg has turned his attention to helping others; in 2024, he spoke with PEOPLE about training to become a dialysis tech so he could treat his ailing father at his home.
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/ Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
"There was no thought to it at all,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “My dad was my idol. He taught me how to drive and shave, how to talk to girls, how to tie my shoes and be respectful, kind, and thoughtful. He was my greatest teacher.”
While Guttenberg's home was spared, many celebrities’ houses burned during the fast-growing fires, including Milo Ventimiglia, Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung, Keleigh and Miles Teller, Barbara Corcoran, Eugene Levy, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, and Cameron Mathison.
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The wildfires first broke out on Tuesday, Jan. 7 amid severe winds and dry conditions in the Los Angeles area.
Over 100,000 people were issued mandatory evacuation orders amid the ongoing natural disaster. The largest Palisades Fire is still at a low containment, according to Cal Fire.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed on Sunday, Jan. 12 that the death toll has risen to 24 people.
Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.
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