LOS ANGELES – Rimmed to the south by a 3-mile stretch of Pacific beach, and to the north by craggy bluffs and deep, verdant canyons, the seaside enclave of Pacific Palisades has long been a celebrity hideaway and magnet for those drawn to nature’s doorstep not far from the skyline of downtown Los Angeles.

Venerated in song and a backdrop for a long list of films and TV shows, its famous waves were celebrated by The Beach Boys in “Surfin’ U.S.A.” The comedian Jerry Lewis lived there and was once honorary mayor, and the eponymously named TV series “Pacific Palisades” was produced by Aaron Spelling.

Bookended by Malibu to the west and Santa Monica to the southeast, the neighborhood of 23,000 within sprawling Los Angeles might not be as well known as its neighbors, but it has a rich, celebrity-studded history that followed its founding in the early 1920s.

A raging coastal wildfire Tuesday put the community in the headlines, as firefighters sought to hold off the spreading flames amid a strengthening windstorm and thousands of residents fled for safety. Smoke from the fire was visible for miles along the coastline.

Actor James Woods was among those who posted video of flames burning, on a hill near his home. “Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate,” Woods said in the short clip on the social platform X.

Actor Steve Guttenberg, who lives in Pacific Palisades, urged people who abandoned their cars to leave their keys behind so they could be moved to make way for fire trucks. “This is not a parking lot,” Guttenberg told KTLA.

Envisioned a century ago as a religious commune, today Pacific Palisades’ narrow, winding roads are lined with homes clinging to the hillsides overlooking the ocean. The median listing price is $4.6 million, with one eight-bedroom estate priced at nearly $40 million, according to the website Realtor.com

The community also is known for its walkable, small-town like commercial district, which lures visitors with its farmers’ market and trendy restaurants and shops. One of its most popular attractions is the Getty Villa, a branch of the famous J. Paul Getty Museum focused on Greek and Roman antiquities.