Getty Villa Museum threatened by Palisades fire

Getty Villa threatened by fire

The Palisades Fire continues to grow and is now threatening the popular Getty Villa Museum. The museum will remain closed till Monday.

LOS ANGELES - Amid the devastating and fast-moving fire of the Pacific Palisades, the grounds of the Getty Villa have been threatened by the fire, according to reports from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

According to the Los Angeles Times, an unidentified official on an LAFD radio said that the Getty Villa Museum was "catching on fire" shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday.

As of Tuesday evening, it was unclear whether any structures had caught fire, but officials confirmed the grounds were ablaze and flames were approaching structures.

Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said Tuesday that the staff and art collection at the Getty Villa remain safe.

The Palisades fire burns around the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, January 7, 2024. (Credit: Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/ Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

"Additional fire prevention measures in place at the Villa include water storage on-site," Fleming said in a statement to City News Service. "Irrigation was immediately deployed throughout the grounds Tuesday morning. Museum galleries and library archives were sealed off from smoke by state-of-the-art air handling systems. The double-walled construction of the galleries also provides significant protection for the collections." The museum will remain closed until Monday.

The wind-driven fire is particularly impacting the Pacific Palisades Highlands, according to LAFD Capt. Eric Scott.

Residents of Pacific Palisades forced to evacuate

Fire crews responded around 10:30 a.m. to the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives.

The Palisades Fire swiftly consumed about 1,262 acres as of 3:25 p.m. PT. The blaze sent up a huge plume of smoke visible across the city. Residents in Venice Beach, some 6 miles away, reported seeing the flames.

Firefighters said 30,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders. People in the area of Palisades were urged to evacuate immediately.

Palisades Charter High School catches fire

The Palisades Fire has scorched over 1,200 acres in Pacific Palisades, and the flames have spread to Palisades Charter High School.

According to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, over 10,000 households were evacuated and another 15,000 buildings, including businesses, were also evacuated.

A mandatory evacuation order is in place in a "polygon"-shaped area from Merrimac Road on the northeast, west to Topanga Canyon Boulevard and south to Pacific Coast Highway, according to LAFD.