Jay Leno has gone viral online after he discussed the devastation of the LA wildfires with CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, comparing it to the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Leno for comment on Wednesday outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Last week, Los Angeles County was ravaged by concurrent wildfires across multiple neighborhoods, killing at least 24 people and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. The deadly Palisades and Eaton fires—in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and Pasadena and Altadena, respectively, have been the most destructive.
Portions of Southern California are under a red flag warning along with a "particularly dangerous situation" alert for 3 a.m. Wednesday until 3 p.m. The National Weather Service (NWS) says that winds could gust up to 70 mph in the mountains and 50 mph along the coast and valleys.
What to Know
On Tuesday night, Leno, a long-time resident of Pacific Palisades, told Cooper that he doesn't think the area will exist "for the next five, six years."
"You know, it's unbelievable, it's the biggest natural disaster—not that 9/11 was a natural disaster—but it's literally on that scale. I mean it's 10,000 buildings. If you drove all day you couldn't see 10,000 buildings," the 74-year-old comedian said.
"I mean, you get on that hill and you look for miles, and there's nothing. It looks like Hiroshima or just some horrible thing. It's an entire city wiped out. I mean, Pacific Palisades, it doesn't exist and probably won't exist for the next five, six years.
"I don't know how you rebuild from this. It's $160 billion [in damage]. There's no insurance company in the world that has that much money. I mean, the problems will be insurmountable."
Jay Leno Describes the Devastation of the LA Wildfires: "It Looks Like Hiroshima"
"It's unbelievable... it's literally on that scale [of 9/11]."
"It looks like Hiroshima or just some horrible thing. It's an entire city wiped out. I mean, Pacific Palisades, it doesn't exist and... pic.twitter.com/rYlIP51jwb
What People Are Saying
A clip of the interview was posted to X by The Vigilant Fox, the Editor-in-Chief at Vigilant News. At the time of writing, the video had been viewed 2.4 million times, with people sharing their appreciation for Leno—including actor James Woods.
"Jay Leno is one of the truly compassionate among us. He very quietly goes about the business of helping others daily. He's just a remarkable human being," the Once Upon a Time in America star said. His post has more than 249,000 views.
"Leno has been keeping firefighters and residents fed with hot BBQ meals for the full week. Love him!" someone else wrote.
A third person added: "He sounds so devastated. Don't blame him."
Others were less sympathetic, claiming that those who live in the area have enough funds to rebuild.
"Average listing home price in Pacific Palisades was $4.7 million in Dec. Some will have lost everything they own, but most are just going to have to fly to one of their other properties while they rebuild. At least Leno didn't dress up for the interview. Lots of celebs have been," a different X user commented.
"The rich can rebuild even if they have no insurance, but the average hardworking families won't be able to rebuild if they've had insurance cancelled or the rebuilding process just takes too long (who can wait 2-5 yrs for a house?)" someone else posted.
This refers to the fact that although regulators are working to keep insurers from leaving the state, California is in the midst of an ongoing insurance crisis that is likely to get worse due to the wildfires.
Over the past few years, several major insurers operating in California have reduced coverage in the most at-risk zones due to the growing threat of paying out enormous damage claims and their inability to raise their rates above what the state's regulators deem reasonable. This has left California homeowners scrambling to find affordable coverage at a time when protecting their homes is more important than ever.
What Happens Next
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone says crews are "on edge" as the NWS updated the time for residents to be aware of a "particularly dangerous situation" amid the ongoing wildfires.
While speaking to Cooper on Tuesday evening, Marrone was asked what his biggest concerns were for the next 12 to 24 hours: "The National Weather Service changed the hours for the extreme red flag event, that's going to begin at 3 a.m. this morning for a twelve-hour period. So, I think that we're all 'on edge.' We do have a lot of resources here in L.A. County, but you're correct; firefighting is dangerous and dirty," Marrone said.
The NWS Los Angeles also took to X on Tuesday to alert residents that they are "not quite out of the woods yet."
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