The rapidly spreading Pacific Palisades fire in Southern California reached the Getty Villa grounds in the afternoon of Tuesday, January 7, according to initial reports from the museum and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Alexandria Sivak, assistant director of News and Media Relations at the Getty, said in a statement that the blaze had burned through some trees and vegetation onsite but that staff and the collection remained safe.
“Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year,” Sivak said. “Additional fire prevention measures in place at the Villa include water storage on-site. 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 Getty Villa houses the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection of approximately 44,000 Ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artworks in a building modeled after the first-century Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy. Four gardens surrounding the structure feature a reflecting pool, fountains, sculptural replicas, and herb plots.
LAFD Public Information Officer Margaret Stewart confirmed to Hyperallergic that the Getty Villa is located in the fire evacuation zone and that the museum structure remained undamaged. No injuries had been reported in the immediate area.
The Pacific Palisades blaze began at around 10:30am on Tuesday and quickly spread to more than 1,200 acres, propelled by intense wind gusts and dry conditions. Over 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Getty Villa will remain closed through at least Monday, January 13, Sivak’s statement said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updated information.
