Fire near Jimmy Kimmel's Hollywood Hills home follows suspension fallout

A small rubbish fire abutting Jimmy Kimmel's Hollywood Hills home was extinguished by Los Angeles firefighters on Thursday, less than 48 hours after the late-night host returned to ABC following a weeklong suspension over comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to Marmont Avenue in the Hollywood Hills just after 7 a.m. local time. About a half-dozen firefighters contained the blaze, which was described by the department as abutting the side of Kimmel's home. No injuries or damage were reported. The incident commander did not request any additional resources, the LAFD spokesperson told The Post, suggesting the fire was minor in scope and did not necessitate further investigation. The spokesperson declined to provide any additional information. The Post has sought comment from Kimmel’s representatives.

The incident comes days after Kimmel thrust himself into national headlines with a Sept. 15 monologue about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which sparked outrage and led to ABC indefinitely suspending the host. FCC Chair Brendan Carr indicated the agency could take action against Disney to address the matter, and affiliates including Nexstar and Sinclair said they would preempt Kimmel’s show. Kimmel was reinstated on Tuesday, and his return episode drew more than 6 million live viewers and more than 20 million on social media, according to network and press reports. Nexstar and Sinclair both announced on Friday that they would no longer preempt Kimmel’s show.

Analysts and critics noted the mounting pressure on ABC and Disney amid artist and viewer pushback, as well as calls from political commentators about free expression. The White House at the time faced questions from critics who accused the administration of suppressing speech; officials denied those charges. The investigation into the factors behind the initial suspension and the broader implications for late-night programming continued to unfold in media coverage.

While authorities described Thursday’s blaze as minor and unrelated to the suspension episode, the juxtaposition of a fresh brush with disaster and a high-profile media controversy underscored the volatile intersection of entertainment, politics and social media in the current landscape. Kimmel’s team has not publicly linked the two events, and there was no indication from the LAFD of any ongoing investigation stemming from the incident. The city continues to monitor for any developments related to the property and the surrounding area.