Venice Beach looks exactly like it does in the movies. Chiselled-jawed lifeguards, dressed in post-box red, watch the waves from their towers, mirroring scenes shot here for Baywatch. Oiled-up bodybuilders lift weights in the outdoor gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger once pumped iron. Impossibly beautiful women in denim hotpants rollerblade along the beach path, just as Margot Robbie did in Barbie.

It’s hard to believe that only two months ago, the sky here glowed orange as wildfire flames ripped through the city, burning in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood around seven miles up the coast. The world watched in horror in January as a series of fast-moving fires devastated whole areas of Los Angeles, burning over 37,000 acres, destroying more than 16,000 structures and tragically killing 29 people.

“It was honestly dystopian,” remembers Noelle Hoffmann, a comedian-turned-guide with Bikes & Hikes who leads walks to the famous Hollywood sign that looms above the city. “It was scary. I was about a mile away from an evacuation zone, so I had to pack a bag, and the sky was grey and orange. It was so ominous and scary.”

More than 200,000 people were forced to evacuate as the fires blazed, with many temporarily rehoused in hotels across the city. Several moved into the recently renovated W Hollywood, close to the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Dolby Theatre where the Academy Awards are held each year.

“We had some people coming here with all their items when they were evacuated,” says Kevin Castillo, a bellman at the hotel. “A lot of them brought memories and shared them with us. We also had to figure out what other guests could do because many of the main attractions were closed – they came to have a vacation but the sky looked like it was on fire. Everything smelt like fire outside. We just tried to make it feel like home for them all as much as possible.”

Yet in the weeks since, visitors have been reluctant to return to a city that thrives on tourism. One survey by Visit California and SMARInsights found that potential UK visitors wrongly believed that 37 per cent of LA had been within the fire perimeter. In fact, just 2 per cent was affected; a tiny fraction of this enormous city that covers around 500 square miles. The W Hollywood, for instance, is at least a 40-minute drive from the worst-hit areas. This false perception risks causing even more damage to LA’s businesses and communities, even those based miles from the devastated neighbourhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

“Business has slowed big time,” says Kurt Rieback, the lead tour guide at Malibu Wine Hikes, which leads excursions and tastings at the spectacular 1,100-acre Saddlerock Ranch high in the Santa Monica Mountains, which suffered substantial damage in a 2018 wildfire. “There’s been a lot of cancellations, even though we’re about a 25-minute drive from the Palisades. Even right after the fire, there was no smoke here, no danger whatsoever, but people think the whole city burned down! They’re passing over it because of misinformation. Malibu is alive and thriving and we welcome everybody to come on back. Everything’s more than fine here: it’s beautiful.”

The message is the same across the city: those who really want to help should simply visit and enjoy themselves. Not least because hotel tax revenues add over $300 million to the city’s general fund which could contribute towards recovery costs. Almost all major attractions, including the Hollywood Sign, Universal Studios Hollywood, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and the Paramount Studio Tour, are fully open and operating normally, though Getty Villa and Will Rogers State Park remain closed. “Even LA traffic is back!” laughs Castillo.

Air quality has returned to normal – rated ‘good’ on IQAir during my visit, the same as in London. Most beaches on the 75-mile coastline are also open, although visitors are currently advised to avoid water contact in the area between Las Flores and Santa Monica due to potential contamination.

Adam Burke, president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism, insists that visitors are more important now than ever. “Much like the entertainment industry’s critical role in LA’s economy, tourism is one of the most significant drivers of employment, local business sales and tax dollars that provide essential services for all Angelenos, including public safety,” he explains. “With over 540,000 Angelenos working in the tourism sector and more than 1,000 local businesses relying on our industry for their livelihoods, travellers continuing to visit has never been more critical.”

There’s certainly no need to be concerned you’ll jet into a changed city. I’ve visited LA countless times and didn’t notice any difference at all on my latest trip. It’s still a sprawling, sun-soaked jigsaw of several cities-within-a-city, the best-known being Beverley Hills and West Hollywood. It’s equal parts grit, glamour and green juice, with as many mountains, forests and Pacific Ocean beaches as theme parks, freeways and skyscrapers. Even more improvements to the city’s infrastructure are due in coming years as LA prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027 and the summer Olympics in 2028.

Of course, look a little closer, and you’ll find the shocking events of January have undoubtedly made their mark on the city. On Venice’s mile-long Abbot Kinney Boulevard – once dubbed ‘the coolest block in America’ – the SoCal Vibes Co. bar sells specially-made cans of Californian cider with 100 per cent of profits going to wildfire relief. Opposite the Dolby Theatre, the El Capitan Entertainment Centre (where Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show is filmed) displays a huge banner thanking first responders. Meanwhile at Los Angeles International Airport, Virgin Atlantic has announced it will welcome active-duty firefighters to its newly opened LA Clubhouse, whatever class they’re travelling in.

Heading away from Hollywood to lesser-known areas can also make a real difference when you visit, says Burke. “We urge visitors to avoid residential areas of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Instead, explore and support the local businesses and hotels across LA’s unaffected areas, including Downtown LA, the Arts District, Culver City, Mid-City, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Koreatown, Thai Town, the Valley and more.”’

With that in mind, I sign up for a tour of the Art District’s astonishing street art with LA Walking Tours to discover how the former industrial area has been transformed into one of the city’s hippest neighbourhoods, packed with craft breweries, vintage stores and must-visit restaurants like Italian seafood spot Hearts & Flame. Back in Venice, I stroll the pretty canals lined with beautiful – if wildly eclectic – multimillion dollar homes, then feast on chicory salad and gruyere pizza in the courtyard of trendy local favourite Gjelina.

Walking towards the beach afterwards, I pass a model-perfect fitness trainer recording his al fresco workout with a film crew, more perfectly groomed dogs than I can count, and a queue of preening twenty-somethings ordering Hailey Bieber’s viral $20 smoothie at upscale grocery store Erewhon. All is completely as it has ever been in LA.

“It feels like there were never fires,” Hoffmann promises. “Everything I love about Los Angeles is still here – there’s still epic nature, the best restaurants, incredible arts and culture. We want people to come see it. Tourism is the lifeblood of the city and it’s part of what makes this city so great. It’s working hard to rebuild quickly, but it truly does seem like nothing ever happened.”

Virgin Atlantic’s new Clubhouse is now open at Los Angeles International Airport. Fly direct from London Heathrow to Los Angeles with return Upper Class fares from £2,648 per person, virginatlantic.com.

For more Los Angeles information, discoverlosangeles.com. Rooms at W Hollywood start from $359 per night (approx. £280) per night, marriott.com.

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