Getty Fire Erupts Near Brentwood, Triggering Evacuation Warnings as Smoke Blankets West Los Angeles

Updated with new LAFD statement: Residents across West Los Angeles watched as a plume of smoke rose near the Getty Center this afternoon. Dubbed the Getty Fire, the blaze had consumed approximately 20 acres by 5:30 p.m. and was moving northward away from structures, according to the Watch Fire app.

Los Angeles Fire Department Public Information Officer Lindsey Lantz told Fox 11 that crews were making significant headway. “We are making good progress. We don’t have any official containment numbers to pass on [but the] smoke is getting a little bit thinner,” Lantz said. “Good news for the fire also is that we just haven’t had a ton of wind here, so it has not been as wind-driven as it potentially could be. This fire’s more topography-driven. It is moving uphill as fire tends to do, so our crews have a lot of work to do to catch up to it. But they’re making great progress … and we are hoping that continues and we see this out sooner rather than later.”

The fire was first reported shortly after 4 p.m. burning in the hills near Getty Center Drive in Brentwood. It rapidly expanded to a five-acre incident, prompting a robust initial response. Incident Command requested additional resources, including five engines, two water tenders, and four hand crews. A Chinook helicopter soon arrived, drawing water from Stone Canyon Reservoir to perform drops on the flames.

Evacuation warnings were issued for two areas of Brentwood at approximately 4:40 p.m. An Evacuation Warning signals that residents should prepare to leave; an Evacuation Order means immediate departure is required. Refer to the map below for details on the affected zones.

A Getty Center employee confirmed to Deadline that guests were being evacuated and the facility had closed. Officials reported no structures were immediately threatened. The center’s tram system continued operating, likely to facilitate the evacuation of visitors.

Heavy smoke billowed over the 405 Freeway toward Bel-Air, while sirens echoed through nearby neighborhoods. Fire engines and police vehicles lined the freeway and adjacent side streets. Authorities had not announced any freeway closures as of the latest update.

Despite a significant rain event over the weekend, temperatures in West L.A. approached 100 degrees on Wednesday. Winds were light out of the west at 5 mph with gusts up to 15 mph.

The Sepulveda Pass has a history of wildfire activity. In 2019, another incident dubbed the Getty Fire scorched more than 700 acres in the same corridor. In 2017, the Skirball Fire burned hundreds of acres and created dramatic scenes of commuters navigating the 405 beneath burning hillsides.

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