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Ben Affleck's block is a hotbed for all kinds of authority figures lately ... 'cause now the military is hanging outside his Westside L.A. home -- days after cops and FBI agents were seen around the house amid wildfires in the area.

The actor was photographed returning home Thursday ... and, parked just outside his house was a sand-colored military Humvee -- outfitted with a turret to mount a large machine gun if necessary.

Check out the pics ... Ben drives past like nothing's out of the ordinary -- even though a man in uniform is standing outside the vehicle in BA's affluent neighborhood.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are doing what they can to give back to those who've put their lives on the line amid the Los Angeles wildfires ... volunteering in person to feed a crowd of first responders.

The pop star dressed down and masked up to hand out sandwiches to firefighters and police officers Thursday, after multiple infernos wreaked havoc throughout the City of Angels ... as the fight continues.

The Disney Channel alum and her fiancé oversaw meal service for the dedicated firefighters and cops, and she also gave a shout-out to the brave men and women.

Lil' Kim isn’t backing down … doubling down on her wish for a monsoon to drench L.A. and put the wildfires out for good -- despite online backlash.

The rapper posted on X Thursday saying she didn’t get what all the fuss was about -- insisting a monsoon is just heavy rain, which in her mind, is exactly what L.A. needs.

Lil' Kim even backed up her take with a Google definition of a monsoon, highlighting the part about it causing a "seasonal shift in wind direction that can bring extreme wet or dry weather."

The suspicious hiker who gave some bizarre answers to a concerned Topanga resident was questioned and arrested by police ... at least according to the guy who confronted him.

We tracked down the Topanga man who recorded his interaction with the hiker and he joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... telling us the guy stuck out like a sore thumb and raised a ton of red flags.

The resident says his community is pretty tight-knit, so they know everyone ... and this guy was clearly not a local.

The Los Angeles wildfires have left thousands of people displaced, businesses charred, and entire neighborhoods obliterated ... and they're not even fully contained yet.

According to the latest updates ... the highest red flag level of high winds and fire conditions, labeled a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” was declared by the National Weather Service Wednesday.

The Palisades Fire, which has destroyed massive chunks of the famed coastal community, currently stands at 19% containment -- after burning nearly 24,000 acres.

Folks living near the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire are on high alert after a resident confronted a suspicious hiker on a remote road in Topanga ... and now cops are involved.

TMZ obtained video of a tense interaction between a Topanga local and a lone hiker, who gave vague answers to basic questions about where he was going and what he was doing walking around with a backpack in a fire zone.

There are concerns arson is the cause of the Palisades Fire ... and at one point during the exchange, the hiker responds to a question about the contents of his backpacking by saying unprompted, "Definitely not any lighter fluid."

Beyoncé is reminding people to BeyGOOD ... by shelling out a hefty chunk of change through her foundation to support the Los Angeles wildfire relief effort.

The singer's foundation, BeyGOOD, which launched back in 2013, posted on IG Sunday they're "taking action by announcing the LA Fire Relief Fund with a donation of 2.5 million dollars" ... with the specific goal of helping those impacted by the Eaton Fire -- a blaze still burning in the northeast area of L.A.

The foundation noted ... "The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires."

California Governor Gavin Newsom just called out Elon Musk, accusing him of exposing his own lies about a water shortage amid the L.A. wildfires -- saying it all went down during Elon's own live-streamed briefing with a fire command member.

Musk initially went off on X, blaming the massive loss of homes in the L.A. wildfires on "bad governance at a state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water." But, Newsom shared a clip of Musk talking to a firefighter, captioning it, "@ElonMusk exposed by firefighters for his own lies."

Newsom's clip shows Musk asking a firefighter, "What about water availability, was water availability -- I understand that was not an issue in Malibu, is that correct?"

Prince Harry and Megan Markle's wildfire relief efforts in L.A. aren't being appreciated by at least one celeb, Justine Bateman, who is calling them "disaster tourists."

Bateman jumped on X over the weekend to go on a rant about the former British royals, starting off by labeling Harry and Meghan "ambulance chasers."

The "Family Ties" actress then blasted the couple for a "repulsive photo op" in which they were filmed Friday touring the disaster area near Pasadena along with that city's mayor, Victor Gordo.

Joshua Jackson’s current and childhood home is the latest to be burned to the ground as wildfires continue to torch neighborhoods across the Los Angeles area.

The structure of the home in the Topanga Canyon neighborhood of L.A. was destroyed over the weekend as the Palisades Fire continues to ravage the area.

JJ's swimming pool remains the only thing on the property that's still intact as the flames left the structure and surrounding hillside completely burned.

Deon Cole had a super stressful week ... 'cause he ended up in the hospital on his birthday, and -- when he was finally discharged -- he went home and had to pack up and flee the Los Angeles wildfires.

The comedian and Old Spice pitchman posted about the unfortunate series of events late Friday night ... sharing a photo of himself in the car, packed with sentimental items like the flowers his mother gave him before she died back in 2021.

He also shared a clip ... showing the light from the blaze creeping over hills in the distance.

A man was arrested in Azusa -- a city just east of Pasadena where one of the largest fires in L.A. is raging -- Friday ... and, cops claim he may have tried to start another fire.

Azusa PD tells TMZ  ... officers were dispatched to a local park just before midnight in regards to a brush fire -- where they claim a witness told them the man who lit the fire was still at the scene.

Officers located the suspect -- a "transient" named Jose Carranza-Escobar -- who they claim admitted to lighting the fire. Cops then arrested Carranza-Escobar.

A former child actor is among the victims killed in the massive Los Angeles wildfires ... with his mother saying she could not save him in time.

Rory Callum Sykes -- who appeared in the 90s UK show "Kiddy Kapers" -- was killed at his family’s Malibu home on Wednesday, his his mother, Shelley Sykes, announced in an emotional social media post.

The British-born Australian actor -- born blind with cerebral palsy -- had his own cottage on the family's 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studio estate, which burned down in the fire, per his mother.

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach agree David Muir wearing a clothespin isn't a good look ... but, they say it might not be his fault -- 'cause there are always too many cooks in the kitchen.

The two former ABC News anchors talked about the viral moment on their show "Amy & T.J." in an episode titled "Does This Fire Make Me Look Fat?"

Holmes & Robach take a couple shots at the move ... claiming it will certainly come off as insensitive to many people who have lost homes in the Pacific Palisades wildfire and other Los Angeles-area blazes.

Angelina Jolie's focused on helping her close friends and family affected by the Los Angeles fires right now ... but, she hasn't forgotten the community at large.

The actress was out in L.A. Thursday night ... loading up supplies alongside her son Knox -- when a photog asked her if she was concerned about the fires at all.

Jolie -- clearly in a rush to get back home -- says she's sheltering people at her house ... and her primary concern is her loved ones at this time.

It was a mesmerizing and frightening moment Friday night, when a fire tornado was whipped up ... as massive blazes continued to destroy portions of Los Angeles.

The tornado -- or "firenado" -- was filmed by Fox 11 on the northern flank of the Palisades fire -- as winds whipped the massive flames into the stunning weather phenomenon.

Fox11's Adam Krueger marveled at the moment ... while explaining it occurs when a breeze meets up with an updraft -- causing a vortex, which picks up flames, resulting in the firenado.