Posted on 01/08/2025 6:22:38 AM PST by Red Badger
The grounds of the Getty Villa caught fire on Tuesday as a blaze continued tearing through the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. The museum and its staff were not harmed, according to a statement issued today by the Getty, which said that the Getty Villa will remain closed through January 13.
“Irrigation was immediately deployed throughout the grounds Tuesday morning,” the statement said. “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 is one of the two main venues of the Getty Museum, one of the biggest institutions in Los Angeles. It houses many of the Getty’s most important antiquities from ancient Greece and Rome.
The villa is regularly closed on Tuesdays, so there were no members of the public present today when the fire neared the museum. But Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in her statement that the Getty Villa “swiftly closed” on Tuesday, with non-emergency staff disallowed from entering.
Some 30,000 people were evacuated by officials due to the wildfire, which may gain in intensity as a result of winds forecasted for tonight and early tomorrow morning. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Per Californian officials, the fire has covered 1,200 acres so far. Earlier in the day, officials said it had only touched 300 acres of space.
Fleming said that “some trees and vegetation” on the Getty Villa campus had burned, but the collection and all staff members were safe.
“We are grateful for the tireless work of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and other agencies to keep the Villa and its staff safe, as well as for the on-site presence of fire trucks throughout the day,” she wrote.
PinGGG...............Irony of ironies.................
BTTT
The one good reason to visit L.A.
Public fire hydrants don’t work but Getty grounds irrigation system does.
Not surprising..
The DEI riddled Fire Dept. can use that water, which won’t go too far, but it’s better than nothing I guess.
“The one good reason to visit L.A.”
I’d add the Tar Pits, and the Original Tommy’s.
Gone!
I live east of all the fires - it is very smoky outside and a fine layer of ash is starting to cover everything - don’t try to hose it off, it turns to cement. The sunrise is covered by black smoke. Wind is still howling outside, predicted until 6 PM tonight.
100% bet that Gavin Newsom will blame “global warming/Climate change” on the winds and resultant fires - and propose an even harder crackdown on CarbonEmissions and oil companies, most likely blaming them and then suing them for the fire damage.
Californians who cannot get home owners insurance will continue to vote for him and his ilk (such as mayor Karen Bass), bitterly complaining about the insurance issue, out of control fires, lack of water, etc.
Its got a vast collection of Greco Roman artifacts and sculpture. If that burns it would be a cultural disaster.
My daughter just took me there a couple of years ago. Spectacular.
1-10 odds
The tar pits themselves cant be hurt by fire, but the collections of skulls and bones they’ve pulled out of them are incredible.
I’ve been in those Santa Ana winds.
Almost killed me on my motorcycle on I-10 near Palm Springs in 1973 when I was stationed at 29 Palms..............
I’ve never understood siting it there.
My husband (hard core motorcyclist) said the one condition he won’t ride in is wind - he’d check the weather report before heading out and pull over if the winds kicked up. They can be vicious here in the canyons and elsewhere.
I had to get my dogs out yesterday - walked down four houses, was almost knocked off of my feet - and headed home, dogs ran the entire way. Dust and dirt are blowing everywhere.
Its got a vast collection of Greco Roman artifacts and sculpture. If that burns it would be a cultural disaster.
10 posted on 1/8/2025, 8:57:16 AM by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: Red Badger
My daughter just took me there a couple of years ago. Spectacular.
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agreed. it is a spectacular display of antiquities.
glad to hear getty has an irrigation system with water
hope they can save the place
Thanks for reporting.
Apparently not gone... one million gallon water tank on site. Fire hardened strategies implemented over time.
I remember visiting the museum circa 1976/1977.
It was...is...impressive.
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