Did the Hollywood Sign Burn Down? Here’s the Fate of This Iconic Landmark

A horrendous wildfire began spreading across the Pacific Palisades in Southern California on Jan. 7, 2025 and has since become multiple wildfires around Los Angeles County, decimating homes and forcing thousands to evacuate. Amid the devastation, iconic landmarks around the city have been jeopardized, including the famous Getty Villa.

Although the Getty Villa remains untouched by the flames, per Business Insider, some users are seeing conflicting information about another Los Angeles landmark. Did the Hollywood sign burn down? Has the Hollywood sign ever been destroyed? Keep reading while we catch you up to speed.

Users on social media, especially platforms such as TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter), may have been misled by AI-generated images, per NBC 4 Los Angeles, suggesting the Hollywood sign was in flames from the Sunset fire. The Sunset fire began on the evening of Jan. 8, 2025, and was extinguished mid-morning on Jan. 9, per CBS News.

The Sunset fire grew to 50 acres across the Hollywood Hills and resulted in an evacuation order later lifted on Jan. 9, per NBC News Chicago.

Anyone concerned for the iconic symbol of Los Angeles should rest easy — the Hollywood sign remains intact, per an Instagram story by the Hollywood Sign Trust on Jan. 9, 2024.

The Independent reported that the lights that illuminate the Hollywood sign were affected by the Sunset fire, which may have also caused confusion.

That said, this isn't the first instance of misinformation spreading around the wildfires. Users on TikTok have been posting about the loss of the "black and pink" houses in Santa Monica, widely known thanks to a meme circulating the internet since 2016. However, the houses are reportedly fine as the Palisades fire has not reached Santa Monica, per Santa Monica Daily News. That said, residents of the area are under curfew and an emergency order.

According to Vanity Fair, while the Hollywood sign has undergone several refurbishments and restorations, it has never fully burned down or been damaged by a natural disaster before.

Those hoping to help victims of the California wildfires both human and animal can begin by consulting the list of resources available from the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Audubon.