Iconic Sunset Boulevard Becomes A Giant Car Graveyard

Celebrated in movies, TV shows, songs, and more, the iconic Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles has become a car graveyard. Like something out of a post apocalyptic film, the road is now littered with the wreckage of dozens of automobiles panicked residents abandoned when traffic came to a halt as high winds blew the fire in their direction.

Drones are reportedly interfering with firefighting efforts in Southern California.

We had already seen videos of bulldozers pushing the abandoned cars, which in some areas stretched from one shoulder to the other, out of the way so fire crews could get through. And we suspected at least some of those vehicles had caught fire while they sat in the road.

This is Sunset Boulevard near the Lake Shrine (which has survived, though some surrounding buildings did not). This is where people abandoned cars and ran. Firefighters bulldozed those cars out of the way to make room for emergency vehicles and evacuees. Some cars burned. (10/15) pic.twitter.com/xKiT6dHZyY

— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) January 9, 2025

But new footage confirms those suspicions, the charred bodies and frames of cars sitting the road. The blaze consumed the tires and plastics, melting any aluminum parts into tiny rivers which cooled and solidified after.

One of the few videos documenting the aftermath comes via Inside Edition. In the shots taken by that crew, dozens of fire-damaged rides litter the road. On the opposite side are other abandoned rides which had been pushed over by the bulldozers, yet they don’t appear to have been licked by the flames. Still, some of those are likely to be totaled out.

Whenever there’s a large quantity of cars destroyed in a disaster like this there are ramifications for the greater market. With the supply of used vehicles diminished, it can push demand and prices up. Those who lose their rides might snatch up new ones instead of opting for something used, affecting demand in that end of the market.

Plus, this will no doubt impact insurance rates for some time. We’re curious to see how many of these vehicles had coverage and how insurance providers handle the claims in this kind of situation.  

Images via Inside Edition/YouTube