Film LA has issued its permit protocol during the unfolding wildfire crisis, advising that permission granted for shoots in or near evacuation zones before the fires erupted is likely to be revoked.
The not-for-profit organisation said it will deny new applications in or near evacuation zones until local permit authorities instruct otherwise.
Approximately 130,000 people remain under evacuation orders, and the Los Angeles Times reported that authorities estimate more than 9,000 structures have been destroyed in the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires.
Film LA said beyond the most dangerous areas, filmmakers planning to shoot in any of its jurisdictions must prove that public safety personnel assigned to the production will be available before shooting starts.
At time of writing it was not possible to determine comprehensively which feature productions have been affected. Rivulet Films wrapped production on its pickleball comedy The Dink two weeks ago in Altadena, which has been engulfed by the Eaton Fire.
As previously reported, many TV shoots have been put on hold, including the latest season of Golden Globes winner Hacks, as well as Suits LA, Abbott Elementary, and S.W.A.T., among others.
Meanwhile California film commissioner Colleen Bell said the Commission stood “in unwavering solidarity with our entertainment community and all those affected”. Bell urged production companies to adhere to evacuation orders and directed them to LA County evacuation resources and other local help.
On Thursday reports said the Palisades and Eaton fires had spread to more than 30,000 acres. Six people have reportedly died including one from the Palisades Fire, with authorities warning that more lives are likely to have been lost.
Five fires have been burning in the region and California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Thursday afternoon that a sixth, the Kenneth Fire, had erupted in northern LA County.
US president Biden has announced that the federal government will cover all costs for the disaster response for the next six months.
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