Simon Cowell sent his love and support to the people of Los Angeles on Saturday as devastating wildfires continue to rage across the city. 

Residents have been encouraged to evacuate their homes and strict water saving rules have been imposed as a result of the inferno, which has so far claimed 16 lives while burning over 37,000 acres of land and destroying 12,000 structures in its wake.

Taking to Instagram with a video message over the weekend, talent show mogul Cowell, 65 – who owns property in Malibu, one of the affected areas – reached out those embroiled in the crisis. 

He said: Los Angeles has been my second home for the past twenty five years. I am devastated by what I’ve seen and read. It’s horrific. 

‘Like a lot of other people I want to do something to help, I’ve done some research and it looks like the Red Cross organisation is doing an awful lot. 

‘I’ve attached the link, I’m going to make a donation, I strongly ask other people like myself, who can do something to help, to help, because there’s an awful lot of people right now who are going to need help now, and in the future.  

Simon Cowell sent his love and support to the people of Los Angeles on Saturday as devastating wildfires continue to rage across the city

Residents have been encouraged to evacuate their homes and strict water saving rules have been imposed as a result of the inferno, which has so far claimed 16 lives

He added: ‘I’m sending you my love, my prayers, my support.’ 

In total, an estimated 153,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders and about 57,000 structures remain at risk. At least 13 people remain missing, according to officials.

Several off-ramps to the 405 Freeway including Getty Center Drive, Skirball Center Drive, Sunset, Wilshire, Santa Monica and Olympic boulevards have been closed in order to limit traffic in the West Los Angeles area.

According to state authority Cal Fire, there are at least six fires currently burning, with the Palisades fire being the largest.

The spread of flames has forced thousands more to evacuate from their homes in the upscale Brentwood and Encino suburbs where several celebrities, such as LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kamala Harris, own homes.

‘I pray this nightmare ends soon! So many prayers’, James, who purchased his lavish Brentwood pad in 2017 for $23 million, tweeted over night.

LA authorities declared a local health emergency overnight for the whole county due to poor air quality, stating that the fires had ‘severely degraded air quality’ that poses ‘immediate and long-term risks to public health’.

As airplanes continue dropping fire retardant in Mandeville Canyon, aiming to create a defensive barrier around homes, federal agents remain on the lookout for fire starters.

Taking to Instagram with a video message over the weekend, talent show mogul Cowell – who owns property in Malibu, one of the affected areas – reached out those embroiled in the crisis

Residents of Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood are trying to flee to safety as the Palisades Fire has begun engulfing several celebrity-owned million dollar homes (pictured: Firefighters in Eaton)

Elsewhere there has been understandable fury against ‘wasteful, entitled’ celebrities including Kim Kardashian, who have been accused of squandering vital water resources that could have been used to save homes.

Strict water-conserving measures have been in place since 2022, with ‘ordinary’ residents restricted to watering their gardens twice a week for eight minutes at a time.

Kardashian, who lives in a $60 million house in The Oaks – an exclusive gated community near the epicentre of one of this week’s fires – was fined by city authorities that year for using 232,000 gallons of water more than her allocation.

Other celebrities including Sylvester Stallone and comedian Kevin Hart were also fined.

The Mail on Sunday understands Kardashian has since installed water-saving measures.

As thousands of residents in the City of Angels continue to evacuate, multiple drivers on Sunset Boulevard, located south of Mandeville Canyon have reported being stuck in a gridlock

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According to state authority Cal Fire, there are at least six fires currently burning, with the Palisades fire being the largest

A neighbour of the wealthy TV personality told the Mail on Sunday: ‘These celebrities have a sense of entitlement.

‘Everyone was told to cut back on water precisely for this situation, to preserve it to fight fires. They carried on watering because they could afford the fines.’

Anger was also growing at rich people hiring private firefighters for $2,000 an hour to protect their properties.

Chris Dunn, owner of Covered 6, which provides the service to Hollywood’s elite, told the Mail on Sunday: ‘My phone has been ringing off the hook. Demand has never been higher.’

One wealthy source said: ‘This week’s events have shown you can’t trust the city to protect your property. I have the money, so why not?’