Updated Statement from Getty President and CEO Katherine E. Fleming Regarding Palisades Fire

The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades remains safe and intact this morning, January 8, and will be closed at least through early next week.

While trees and vegetation on the property have burned, Getty structures have been unaffected, and thankfully, both staff and the collections are safe. Out of caution and to help alleviate traffic in the area, the Getty Center in Brentwood will be closed at least through Sunday, January 12. We deeply appreciate the tireless work and dedication of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and other agencies, and also the small team of Getty staff who have remained on-site at the Villa supporting emergency response efforts. We again express our heartfelt concern to our neighbors in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and surrounding areas affected by the fires.

Again, on Tuesday morning, the Villa was swiftly closed to non-emergency staff and, in any case, was closed to the public on Tuesdays. Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year. Additional fire prevention measures in place at the Villa include water storage on-site. Irrigation was immediately deployed in parts of 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.