Will the Getty Museum in L.A. be okay after the fires?

Videos of the 405 Freeway engulfed in flames filled Twitter yesterday, December 6th, as a wildfire ripped through the hills of northern Los Angeles. The fire was dangerously close to the Getty Center, a complex containing a well-known art museum, leading many to wonder: will the Getty Museum be okay after the fires in California?

Thankfully, it seems no art will be harmed by the Los Angeles blaze. Ron Hartwig, vice president of communications at the J. Paul Getty Trust said in a statement that the museum should make it out of the fires unscathed. He said that no artwork had been evacuated from the museum.

"This is the safest place the artwork could be in a situation like a wildfire," Hartwig said. "While we are worried and will be until the last ember is out, we believe the art collection is in the safest place they can be."

Hartwig added that the museum site has a 1 million gallon water tank, and that the center’s wildlife is arranged so that the plants with the highest moisture content are closest to the building. A portion of the 405 near the Getty Museum was closed on December 6th due to the fire, and the museum itself was closed as well on both December 6th and 7th.

I can't imagine the sheer bravery it must take to look at this horror and then head towards it. Firefighters are real life superheroes man. #skirballfire pic.twitter.com/Cip7XqAvxs

— Francis Maxwell (@francismmaxwell) December 6, 2017

The Getty Museum contains European artwork dating back to the Neolithic period. About 2 million people visit the Getty Museum or its second site, the Getty Villa, each year.

We’re relieved to hear that this historic location will make it through the fires in Los Angeles. And to everyone in the area affected by the fires: stay safe.