Actor James Woods Uses Twitter to Help Fire Victims Find Missing Loved Ones

Steve Warren
11-12-2018

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Actor James Woods is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood.  He used his fame late week on social media helping those affected by the Camp Fire to track down their missing loved ones. 

By late Thursday, the fire had burned more than 20,000 acres in less than 14 hours.  It had destroyed more than 1,000 structures near the city of Paradise, California, according to The Redding Record Searchlight.

Around 1:00 pm, Woods reposted the tweet of a user looking for their handicapped father to his almost 2 million Twitter followers.

A few tweets later, he posted the following message: 

"You can help #CampFire victims and families by searching hashtag #CampFire for missing people and pets. Some people have been cut off from endangered loved ones who need lifesaving assistance. Retweeting their info and a contact person on Twitter by "@" can save lives."

Then the conservative actor went into overdrive.  He posted more than 100 tweets about the Camp Fire.  Some included photos of missing family members, some were reminders not to leave pets behind if evacuating, and others were traffic updates.

His posts began to pick up momentum on the social networking site.  The hashtag #CampFireJamesWoods almost became almost as popular as the #CampFire hashtag.

According to the Record Searchlight, it's unknown if Woods has any personal connection to the Paradise area. He starred in a 1998 movie titled "Another Day in Paradise."

More Stars Evacuate Their Homes as Fire Approaches

Other celebrities known for their work in television, music and motion pictures were also fleeing their homes as the wildfires grew closer.

Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, left her Malibu home Friday.  She reached out to her Twitter followers writing: 

"I am thinking so deeply for everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones," the pop singer wrote. "I'm sitting here with many of you wondering if my home will burst into flames. All we can do is pray together & for each other. God Bless You."

Malibu resident Orlando Bloom posted a photo to Instagram showing the flames on his street as they approached his neighborhood. 

"This is my street as of two hours ago," Bloom wrote. "Praying for the safety of all my malibu fam, grateful to our brave firefighters please stay safe."

Actress Denise Richards also used Instagram to show the fire sweeping down the hills as it approached Malibu Beach before she and her family safely evacuated.

Richards wrote:  "We love our community #malibu so devastating... taking us hours to evacuate. Girls are safe. @aaronwilliamcameron & I trying to get out with our furry children. Be safe everyone... so emotional seeing the devastating loss of homes, families & animals."

On Sunday, actor Gerard Butler returned to his home in Malibu, finding it totally destroyed.  He posted a photo of himself to Instagram standing in front of what remained of his house.  But he wasn't thinking of himself.  He wanted to comment on the inspiration and courage of the firefighters and to send a link to his followers to donate to the fire department. 

Butler wrote: "Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating. Heartbreaking time across California. Inspired as ever by the courage, spirit and sacrifice of firefighters. Thank you @LosAngelesFireDepartment. If you can, support these brave men and women at SupportLAFD.org. Link in bio." 

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of
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