Getty Villa closes amid wind-driven Palisades Fire

While it's normally closed to the public on Tuesdays, the Getty Villa extended its closure to next week amid the Palisades Fire.

"We swiftly closed the Villa to non-emergency staff, and the site is closed to the public on Tuesdays. The Getty Villa will remain closed at least through Monday, January 13," J. Paul Getty Trust President Katherine Fleming said. "We, of course, are very concerned for our neighbors in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and the surrounding areas."

The Palisades Fire forced roughly 30,000 people to evacuate and threatened to burn more than 10,000 homes. The flames also spread to the Getty Villa and burned some of the trees and vegetation at the historic museum. 

"Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year," Fleming said. "Additional fire prevention measures in place at the Villa include water storage on-site."

Fleming added that the facility utilized its irrigation system throughout the day and that the galleries and collections were safe from the smoke. 

"Museum galleries and library archives were sealed off from smoke by state-of-the-art air handling systems," Fleming said. "The double-walled construction of the galleries also provides significant protection for the collections."

The California Highway Patrol issued the following road closures:

• Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Las Flores Canyon Rd
• Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga Canyon Boulevard
• Coastline Drive and Southbound Pacific Coast Highway