Ben Affleck's New $20 Million Home at Risk From California Wildfires

Actor Ben Affleck is among the Southern California residents whose home is at risk from raging wind-fueled fires, which have engulfed thousands of acres.

The area has been hit with multiple wildfires, fueled by some of the strongest Santa Ana winds in recent memory. The fires, which have caused infrastructure damage, have prompted mass evacuations and an ongoing state of emergency.

The Palisades Fire rapidly ballooned in size since erupting as a brush fire on Tuesday, covering more than 2,900 acres. Two other blazes—the Eaton Fire near Altadena and the Hurst Fire in Sylmar—also broke out late Tuesday.

Photos published by the Daily Mail show Affleck arriving home in his car to see the blaze raging though the affluent neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, which is located along the coast and in the mountains north of Santa Monica.

Ben Affleck on March 27, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. The Southern California wildfires have affected areas near the actor's home. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

In the images, Affleck is seen sitting with his car window wound down while looking out at the scenes before him. The actor moved into his current home following the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Lopez. It was reported this week that the former couple have settled their divorce.

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Affleck via email for comment.

Affleck reportedly purchased his five-bedroom, six-bathroom home for $20.5 million on July 24, the same day as Lopez's birthday. Following months of rumors about the state of their marriage, Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck on August 20.

Prior to moving to the Palisades, Affleck was reported to have been renting a home in nearby Brentwood after leaving the opulent Beverly Hills property he shared with Lopez.

Affleck's new westside neighborhood is home to a number of other celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler and Miles Teller, among others.

Actor James Woods shared on Tuesday that he had been forced to evacuate his home amid the rapidly spreading fires.

Taking to X, he wrote: "All the smoke detectors are going off in our house and transmitting to our iPhones. I couldn't believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one."

In a previous update, Woods said he was unclear on the overall condition of his home but had been able to monitor the fire via a security camera on his property.

"To all the wonderful people who've reached out to us, thank you for being so concerned. Just letting you know that we were able to evacuate successfully. I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing, but sadly houses on our little street are not," he posted.

Woods also took the opportunity to share the work he had previously done on the property to safeguard it from future fires.

"We cleared and built pathways on our hillside with sprinkler systems that can be remotely managed," he wrote. "We also did brush clearance per local fire prevention mandates. I'm hoping it has done some good. It's hard to beat the winds this time of year though, if someone is careless."

The actor added: "We renovated a home after COVID and just finished last month. To all the lovely people offering care and love, I'll say this. There is no possession as priceless as friends and good neighbors during a tragedy. I can't believe the blessings we enjoy, and I am humbly grateful."

Also among those who have been affected are actors Steve Guttenberg and Eugene Levy. Three Men and a Baby star Guttenberg was spotted assisting with evacuation and firefighting efforts by attempting to clear Palisades Drive of vehicles to allow emergency workers to pass through the area.

Schitt's Creek and American Pie star Levy, the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, told The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that he saw "black and intense" smoke while battling traffic during his evacuation.

Exacerbating the challenges with containing the blaze, firefighting helicopters battling the Palisades Fire have been grounded due to dangerous conditions, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed. Similarly, strong winds forced officials to suspend aerial operations for the Eaton Fire in Altadena, according to a city spokesperson.