You see the smoke first. It usually starts as a thin, brownish-gray smudge against the piercing blue of the Southern California sky. Then, the wind picks up. If you live in Los Angeles, your heart sinks because you know exactly what that smell means. It’s that acrid, metallic scent of burning chaparral and manzanita. Everyone immediately looks toward the hills. Specifically, they look toward Mount Lee. People start frantically Googling how close are the fires to the hollywood sign because that landmark is basically the heartbeat of the city.
It’s iconic. It’s vulnerable.
As of January 2026, the situation with wildfires in Griffith Park and the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains remains a "when, not if" scenario. While there isn't a wall of flame licking the letters this exact second, the proximity of recent brush fires—like the small blazes often sparked near Barham Boulevard or the 101 freeway—keeps the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) on permanent high alert. Honestly, the distance between "everything is fine" and "the sign is in danger" is often less than a mile.
The Geography of Danger: Understanding Griffith Park’s Layout
The Hollywood Sign sits on the southern slope of Mount Lee. It’s surrounded by over 4,000 acres of Griffith Park. This isn't your typical manicured city park with mowed grass and benches. It’s rugged, steep, and filled with old-growth coastal sage scrub that hasn't seen a major burn in some sections for decades.
Fire travels faster uphill. This is basic physics. Because the sign is positioned high up, any fire starting at the base of the hills—whether from a tossed cigarette on a hiking trail or an electrical spark—can race toward those 45-foot-tall white letters in minutes. The "distance" isn't measured in miles; it's measured in fuel load and wind speed.
During the 2007 Griffith Park fire, which was one of the most terrifying moments for the landmark, the flames got within a few hundred yards of the sign. Over 800 acres burned. Firefighters had to be air-dropped onto the ridges because the terrain is too vertical for traditional fire trucks. You’ve basically got a giant, wooden-and-metal billboard sitting in a tinderbox.
Why the Santa Ana Winds Change Everything
When the Santa Ana winds blow from the northeast, they are hot, dry, and fast. They push fires away from the desert and right into the canyons. If a fire starts in the San Fernando Valley, these winds can whip it over the ridge and toward the Hollywood Sign before the LAFD can even get a chopper in the air.
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During a Red Flag Warning, the answer to how close are the fires to the hollywood sign can change in thirty seconds. The embers—or "firebrands"—can fly up to a mile ahead of the actual fire front. This means a fire doesn't even have to be "next" to the sign to set the brush around it on fire.
Real Past Encounters: When the Sign Almost Vanished
We’ve had some close calls. Scary ones.
In July 2018, a brush fire broke out near the Forest Lawn Cemetery, just on the other side of the hill from the sign. People in Burbank watched as smoke billowed directly behind the letters. The "distance" was effectively zero in terms of smoke damage risk, though the flames were stopped by a massive aerial drop of Phos-chek (that bright red fire retardant).
Then there was the 2023 "Lake" fire incident. It was smaller, but it proved how fast things move. One minute, tourists were taking selfies at the Canyon Lake Drive viewpoint; the next, they were being evacuated by park rangers because a spot fire started less than a quarter-mile away.
- The 1961 Bel Air Fire: While it didn't hit the sign, it proved how vulnerable the entire range is.
- The 1976 Arson: Someone actually set fire to the "L"s. It wasn't a brush fire, but it showed how easily the structure catches.
- 2007: The big one. Dante’s View was destroyed. The sign was saved only by a massive stand at the ridge line.
What is Being Done to Protect the Landmark?
You might think it’s just a sign, but it’s a massive driver of tourism. The city spends a fortune on prevention. There are high-definition, thermal-imaging cameras mounted around Mount Lee that scan for heat signatures 24/7.
The Hollywood Sign Trust works with the LAFD to maintain a "defensible space." Basically, they clear the brush. They hack away the dead weeds and dry grass for a significant radius around the letters. This creates a buffer zone. If a fire reaches the cleared area, it loses its fuel and slows down, giving the "Super Scoopers" (those massive water-dropping planes) time to hit it.
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The security is also intense. There are motion sensors and infrared tech. This isn't just to keep pranksters from changing it to "Hollyweed" again—it's to stop people from smoking or starting accidental fires in restricted areas.
How to Check Current Fire Proximity
If you see smoke right now, don't rely on old news reports. Wildfires move too fast for static articles to stay current.
Check the LAFD Alert blog or their Twitter (X) feed. They are incredibly fast at posting "Brush Fires" with exact coordinates. Another pro tip? Use the Watch Duty app. It’s basically the gold standard for tracking wildfires in California. It uses real-time radio frequencies and satellite data to show you exactly where the fire perimeter is in relation to landmarks like the Hollywood Sign.
If you’re looking at a map and see a fire in "Cahuenga Pass" or "Beachwood Canyon," that’s the danger zone. Those are the direct neighbors to the sign.
The Human Element: Why Fires Start There
Most fires in Griffith Park aren't caused by lightning. We don't get much dry lightning in LA. They are human-caused.
Sometimes it's an unhoused person's cooking fire in the brush. Sometimes it's a car catalytic converter sparking on dry grass at a turnout. Other times, it's just a hiker being reckless. Because the park gets millions of visitors, the risk is statistically high.
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There’s also the issue of the power lines. Mount Lee is topped with communication towers. High winds can knock those lines down, and if a live wire hits dry grass, it’s game over.
Living in the Shadow of the Sign
For residents in Beachwood Canyon or Hollywoodland, a fire near the sign isn't just a tragedy for a landmark; it's a threat to their living rooms. The roads in these areas are notoriously narrow and winding. If a fire gets close to the sign, the evacuation routes become a nightmare.
This is why the city often closes the hiking trails during high-heat days. If you’re planning to hike to the Wisdom Tree or the back of Mount Lee, check the weather. If it’s over 90 degrees with low humidity, stay away. You don't want to be the one trapped on a ridge when a fire starts.
Future Proofing: Is the Sign Fireproof?
Not really. The letters are made of corrugated metal panels on a steel framework, which won't "burn" like wood, but the heat from a major wildfire can warp the metal and melt the paint. More importantly, the support structures can be compromised.
There have been talks about installing a permanent sprinkler system around the sign. While it sounds like a good idea, the logistics of pumping that much water up a mountain are complicated and expensive. For now, we rely on the bravery of the pilots and the "ground pounders" who hike into the brush with chainsaws.
Actionable Steps for Today
If you are worried about a fire near the Hollywood Sign right now, follow these steps:
- Check the Wind Direction: If the wind is blowing from the North/Northeast (Santa Anas), the risk is highest. If it’s a sea breeze from the West, the sign is generally safer.
- Monitor the Pulse: Go to the LAFD's official site. If there isn't an "Active Incident" listed for Griffith Park, the smoke you see might be further away in the Valley or the Inland Empire.
- Respect Closures: If the sign trails are closed, stay off them. The brush is so dry that even the friction from a bike or a stray spark from a shoe hitting a rock can be a problem.
- Download Watch Duty: Set your alerts for "Los Angeles County." It’s the fastest way to see the "distance to landmark" metrics.
- Look at the Webcams: Several EarthCam and private weather stations point directly at the Hollywood Sign. If you see clear white letters, the air quality and fire risk are currently under control.
The Hollywood Sign has survived since 1923. It’s survived neglect, the Great Depression, and dozens of fires. While the proximity of wildfires is a constant threat in our changing climate, the combination of modern surveillance and rapid-response firefighting keeps the landmark standing. For now, the letters remain white, and the hillside remains—mostly—green.