Los Angeles, Jan 08, (V7N) - One of the world’s most famous art museums, the Getty Villa, was placed under threat on Tuesday due to a rapidly spreading brush fire in Southern California. The fire, fueled by high winds, quickly spread across a coastal community in Los Angeles, putting the Getty Villa Museum and its priceless collection of Roman and Greek antiquities at risk.
 
The Getty Villa, located off the Pacific Coast Highway in the Pacific Palisades area, is home to a large collection of ancient artifacts. The area was consumed by flames on Tuesday after high-speed Santa Ana winds created significant fire risks across parts of Southern California.
 
By the afternoon, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley reported that the fire had expanded to 1,200 acres, threatening over 10,000 households and 13,000 structures. Mass evacuation orders were issued for approximately 30,000 residents. Aerial footage shared on social media showed smoke approaching the Getty Villa as the fire moved through the region.
 
Although some trees and vegetation on the museum grounds were burned, the Getty Villa itself and its staff were reported safe from the fire. The museum, already closed to the public on Tuesdays, swiftly closed its doors to non-emergency staff after the fire started. The Getty Villa will remain closed through at least January 13.
 
“We are very concerned for our neighbors in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and surrounding areas,” said Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust. “Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year.”
 
The Getty Villa also implemented additional fire prevention measures, including on-site water storage and irrigation systems that were deployed on Tuesday morning.
 
Museum galleries and library archives were sealed off from smoke using advanced air handling systems, and the villa’s double-walled construction provided significant protection for the collections.
 
Fleming expressed gratitude for the efforts of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and other agencies working to keep the Villa and its staff safe.
 
Opened to the public in 1974 by billionaire oilman and art patron J. Paul Getty, the Getty Villa is modeled after an ancient Roman country house and houses Getty's extensive collection of Classical and Renaissance-era art. The museum also features an outdoor theater for classic and classically inspired performances. The rest of Getty's collection is displayed at the Getty Center in Brentwood, California.
 
According to the J. Paul Getty Trust, both the Getty Villa and the Getty Center attract nearly two million visitors annually from around the world.
 
END/SMA/NYC/RH/