The organization that puts on the Oscars has extended the voting window for Academy Awards nominations and delayed next week’s planned nominations announcement.
Bill Kramer, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, shared the postponements to the film academy members in a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Nominations and the voting window have both been extended by two days. Oscar nominations will now be revealed on Sunday, Jan. 19. Voting closes on Jan. 14.
“We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California,” Kramer wrote. “So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.”
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Wind-fueled wildfires continued to grow Wednesday as overtaxed fire crews battled at least three major out-of-control blazes that killed at least five people and ravaged some of the most picturesque neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area.
The fires blanketed the city with a thick cloud of smoke and ash and destroyed homes across the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade.
The wildfires have forced many Hollywood stars, including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods, to evacuate their homes.
Jamie Lee Curtis said Wednesday on Instagram that her family is safe, but she suggested her neighborhood and possibly her home is on fire. She said many of her friends lost their homes.
“It's a terrifying situation and I'm grateful to the firefighters and all of the good Samaritans who are helping people get out of the way of the blaze."
Other stars who have homes in the area include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
Many are awaiting word on whether their homes survived the flames.
