The Getty Villa and the Palisades Fire: A Close Call
Emergency Operations Center Activated
The Getty Villa, a museum built by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and home to thousands of priceless antiquities, activated its emergency operations center in response to the fast-moving Palisades fire at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday. At 11:44 a.m., fire could be seen over the ridge, less than one mile away. By 12:27, flames had reached the property.
Safety Measures Paid Off
Fast-moving, wildly unpredictable and catastrophic in the damage it caused along a vast swath of prime coastline, the Palisades fire ultimately spared the Villa and its more than 44,000 objects, including many Roman, Greek and Etruscan relics dating from 6500 BC to AD 400.
Staff Response
J. Paul Getty Trust President and Chief Executive Katherine E. Fleming described for The Times the scene on the ground and how she and her staff worked from a conference center-turned-war room at the Getty Center in Brentwood, about 10 miles away — all while 16 staff members remained at the Villa to implement emergency protocols.
Preparation and Response
Extensive brush-clearing over the last year, Fleming said, had been completed with the knowledge that fire is a way of life in Los Angeles, and that the region’s frequent periods of drought made a massively destructive fire inevitable. The museum had already pruned landscaping that might catch fire and made sure tree canopies were high off the ground. Low-lying brush had been significantly thinned. The grounds were irrigated Tuesday morning.
Emergency Protocols
When the fire broke out, the biggest concern was protecting the collections from the damaging effects of smoke. The double-walled construction of the galleries provided significant protection, and at 10:45 a.m., the dampers — small valves that regulate airflow in a building’s HVAC system — were turned off, as was the air conditioning. The staff still smelled smoke, so the museum doors were sealed at 11:04 a.m. The smoke became overwhelming by 11:15, and at 11:20 the staff was sent an email alerting them that the Villa was closing.
Communication Challenges
Fleming noted that communication between the two sites was difficult. Villa employees’ radios stopped transmitting when they were more than 100 feet away from one another. That meant staff in the Getty command center in Brentwood — about 15 people in total, sitting at a large conference table — had to relay pertinent information to each staffer at the Villa.
Conclusion
The Getty Villa and its staff were prepared for the unexpected, and their efforts paid off. The museum and its priceless collections are safe, and the staff’s swift response and communication helped to minimize the damage. While the threat of fire has not completely passed, the Villa appears to be safe for now.
FAQs
Q: What happened during the Palisades fire?
A: The Getty Villa, a museum in Malibu, California, activated its emergency operations center in response to the fast-moving Palisades fire on Tuesday. Flames reached the property, but thanks to extensive brush-clearing and emergency protocols, the museum and its collections were spared.
Q: How did the staff respond to the fire?
A: The staff at the Getty Villa remained on site to implement emergency protocols, while 15 staff members worked from a conference center-turned-war room at the Getty Center in Brentwood, about 10 miles away.
Q: What safety measures did the museum take beforehand?
A: The museum had completed extensive brush-clearing over the last year, pruned landscaping that might catch fire, and made sure tree canopies were high off the ground. Low-lying brush had been significantly thinned, and the grounds were irrigated Tuesday morning.
Q: How did communication work between the two sites?
A: Communication between the Getty Villa and the Getty Center was difficult due to radio transmission issues. Staff in the Getty command center had to relay pertinent information to each staffer at the Villa.
