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Actor Steve Guttenberg sprang into action on Tuesday when a wildfire broke out near his home in Pacific Palisades. 

A reporter for local news station KTLA encountered the Police Academy star as a fast-moving fire ravaged the Los Angeles neighborhood. Guttenberg – who appeared to go unrecognized by the reporter – shared some important advice for people evacuating the area: leave the keys in the car if you have to abandon your vehicle. 

Steven Guttenberg shared important information with people fleeing Pacific Palisades fire 

A tow truck towing a car at night as a wildfire rages in the background
A tow truck with an abandoned car during the Palisades Fire | Apu Gomes/Getty Images

Guttenberg told KTLA’s Gene Kang that in their panic to escape the fire, some people were actually making a dangerous situation worse. 

“What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot,” the Three Men and a Baby actor said. “This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars. So, if you leave your car on Palisades Drive, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car and get ‘em up there so that these firetrucks can get up there. It’s really, really important.”

The sudden order to leave Pacific Palisades had caused traffic backups and gridlock on the twisty roads leading out of the hilly neighborhood. As traffic piled up, some people left their cars and fled on foot. The abandoned vehicles were in the way of emergency vehicles and first responders, who eventually had to use a bulldozer to clear about 200 cars from the road.  

Guttenberg urged people to focus on their safety and that of their loved ones and neighbors. 

“Everybody’s got to band together now. Don’t worry about your personal property … just get out,” he said. 

‘Three Men and a Baby’ star calls fires ‘terrible’ 

People fleeing a wildfire walk down the street in Pacific Palisades as car sit in a traffic jam
People evacuate in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 | Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images
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On Wednesday morning, Guttenberg was back on the scene in Pacific Palisades. He spoke with KCAL about the fire’s devastating impact. The blaze had destroyed more than 1,000 structures. It is one of several fires burning across Southern California, including the Eaton Fire, which is burning in Altadena and has destroyed many homes and resulted in two confirmed deaths.

“It’s just terrible,” Guttenberg said, who shared that his family was safe. “This is the biggest fire I’ve ever seen in my life.” But the actor said he was committed to helping those who needed it. 

“I’m going to get a pair of gloves and see how close I can get,” he said. “Everybody needs help right now … I’m just going to see what I can do to help.”  

Cameron Mathison, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag lose homes in fire 

Guttenberg is far from the only celebrity affected by the fire in Pacific Palisades. The affluent neighborhood is home to many stars. Some have confirmed they have lost their homes. 

Cameron Mathison of General Hospital posted on Instagram that his “beautiful home” was gone. Spencer Pratt shared on social media that the home he shared with wife Heidi Montag and their two children had also been destroyed, as had his parents’ home. Other celebs said they were safe but had to evacuate, including Mandy Moore, Eugene Levy, and Mark Hamill. 

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