THE Oscars awards ceremony is on the verge of being cancelled for the first time in its 96-year history because of the deadly wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles.

The official Academy Award committee is monitoring the situation daily, with stars including Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg said to be aware of the situation.

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But the feeling is it could be in bad taste to go ahead with the glitzy bash when dozens of people have died and thousands left homeless.

An insider said: “The board’s main concern at this time is to not look like they are celebrating while many Los Angelenos are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable loss.

“And certainly, even if the fires went out in the next week, the reality is that the city is still hurting and will be dealing with that pain for months.

“So the hierarchy decided that the focus will be support and fundraising when the right opportunities present themselves.”

At least 25 people have now died in the California fires, although that figure is expected to rise as emergency services search through the rubble.

More than 200,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes, with 88,000 still under evacuation orders last night.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s £12million ($14.6million) home in Montecito was last night on high alert as strong winds threatened to blow the wildfires in their direction.

While the Californian dream is not yet dead, it is incrementally dying

The destruction has led to a “contingency strategy” being put in place for the March 3 (GMT) Oscars ceremony to be called off — a measure first introduced in the early 2000s.

The highly classified plan would only be implemented if a “life changing event” affects the show being aired.

It comes after several other celebrity events were cancelled in the past 72 hours.

Last night a source said: “While the Californian dream is not yet dead, it is incrementally dying. These wildfires have absolutely devastated the state, uniting everyone — from A-lister to waiter.

Worst case situation

“And the very thought of having a waiter, a poorly paid innocent who has lost their home, serving delicate Wagyu burgers and sliced cucumber sandwiches to multi-millionaire movie stars doesn’t exactly sit right.

“Homelessness is on the rise and there is an opioid epidemic. Right now Los Angeles is at an absolutely critical time in its history. It’s a nadir.

“After 9/11, the committee and executive teams brought in an effective contingency strategy on how to deal with a world, or city-wide, life-changing event.

“Terror threats were the priority for many years with discussions with Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA and LAPD task force officers, and many of those templates are still in place, albeit out of the public domain to avoid alarm.

“The Oscars’ committee realise that in a worst case situation, the fires could continue for weeks, prompting disastrous and cataclysmic issues for LA and Hollywood, where the awards are staged.

“These matters are being monitored very closely, with some well-known faces consulted, because everything is so up in the air that anything could happen.”

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Even if the awards ceremony does go ahead, the goody bags, worth £140,000 ($171,000), will be scrapped.

They have included a three-night stay in the Swiss alps, beauty treatments, jewellery and a £1,000 ($1,220) barbecue grill — but have been deemed “bad taste” by board members.

Some of the emergency plans were brought into effect in the aftermath of Covid. And even when most of the world was in lockdown in 2021, the awards were pushed back two months rather than cancelled.

But the wildfires have united Hollywood in a way previously unseen. The homes of stars including Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins and Billy Crystal have been destroyed, while other celebs were evacuated from their properties.

The Board’s main concern at this time is to not look like they are celebrating while many Los Angelenos are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable loss

Insider

Other stars have been doing what they can to help. They include British singer Annie Lennox, who was pictured volunteering at a temporary food kitchen delivering meals to victims of the fires.

Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has already cancelled the announcement of this year’s nominees and the nominees’ luncheon, where they all stand together for a photo following a three-course meal.

The insider said: “The Academy hates to be seen as ‘out of touch’ with its own community — the wider world is irrelevant — and many big names and studio heads have been hit by losing their homes and businesses, so celebratory nights are off the table.

“But the reality is that hundreds of millions of dollars are centred around the Oscars and moving their main evening and ‘biggest revenue generator’ would need something cataclysmic to happen.”

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