Its not every day the average person can waltz into the Magic Castle in the heart of Hollywood.
When we were watching the news, we were watching all those people who lost everything.
They dont have a house to go to.
Volunteers organize donations for L.A. fire victims in the parking lot of Magic Castle in Hollywood on Jan. 14.FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
Volunteers hand out sandwiches and water bottles.
A Van Leeuwen ice cream truck idles not far from a table loaded with Vans.
Luckily, the structure was ultimately unscathed.
To think, it could have wiped this neighborhood, Levy said.
I mean, Hollywood would have been gone.
The evacuation period was brief; by the next morning, he says, people were back to stay.
We were upstairs, and you could see everything.
It seems like a natural thing to do, he says.
We want people to feel like, I actually did experience a community.
More often than not, paparazzi can be found lurking outside the entrance.
(In a way, I prefer the firefighters, Balazs jokes.)
The Critics Choice Awards, which were supposed to take place on Jan. 12, have beenpostponed twice.
Still, Balazs believes moving forward with the shows and parties makes the most sense.
I think the best thing that can happen is economic activity, he says.
Especially for this creative community thats represented by the various unions.
Yes, this is a tragedy, but why compound the tragedy?
Its not the people who are presenting or receiving awards who are bearing the brunt of this.
Yes, they may have lost their homes, but relatively speaking, they can live with it.
I think life should go on.
Its the right thing to do.
This all feels wild and unimaginable, Scanlon tellsRolling Stonewhile standing outside the clubs doors.
What they had in their cars is everything they have left, Thomas says.
But Ive never seen a community response like I have in this town.
It really gives a ray of hope for the future and rebuilding.
