Ongoing LA Fires Have Halted Production On Fallout Season 2 And Other Entertainment Events

This past week, a fire broke out in Southern California that resulted in thousands of Californians having to evacuate their homes to safe evacuation (evac) zones, leaving behind possessions and treasured moments. Multiple US news and entertainment outlets reported that a handful of awards ceremonies, premieres, and film and television productions filming in the state had been halted until further notice, with local emergency services working around the clock to get citizens to safety and to prevent these fires from spreading to neighboring areas.

A Californian-based permitting agency had forwarded a notification on the impact of the ongoing fires on productions that are underway or about to begin in the affected areas. This resulted in various productions being put on hold or having to relocate, including the second season of the gaming adaptation, Fallout, which was reportedly planned to begin filming this week.

Entertainment news site Variety reported on 8th January 2024 that the permitting agency, FilmLA, sent out a "Production Update" to all impacted productions across film and television in Southern California. Variety's report confirmed that the production for Amazon's Fallout series was one of several television shows that were impacted by this disaster, and it was reported to begin "filming in the Santa Clarita area."

Subsequently, Amazon has delayed Fallout's production until 10th January 2024 (this Friday), but it's unconfirmed if the show's filming will begin as FilmLA's "Production Update" statement highlighted the "unprecedented risk to life and property" caused by these raging fires. This devastating series of events also places "extreme demands on public safety personnel," they've advised, "the production community that personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local State of Emergency."

FilmLA's statement continued that "the LA County Fire Department has specifically instructed that all permits issued for filming in the communities of Altadena, La Crescenta, La Canada/Flintridge, and Unincorporated Pasadena are withdrawn." As such, they've tasked all filmmakers and productions that are scheduled to begin work this week "in any jurisdiction served by FilmLA" to confirm if any "public safety personnel" have been assigned to them in order to move forward with production.