LOS ANGELES, CA — Firefighters continued mop-up and containment operations Thursday after a brush fire burned an estimated 25 acres near the southbound 405 Freeway in the Brentwood area, prompting evacuation warnings and temporarily affecting operations at the nearby Getty Center.
The fire was reported at about 4:17 p.m. Wednesday in the area of the northbound 405 Freeway near Getty Center Drive. The Los Angeles Fire Department initially estimated the involved area at about five acres before the footprint grew as crews assessed the hillside.
By 6:12 p.m., LAFD reported that the fire’s forward progress had been stopped and estimated the total area burned at approximately 25 acres.
No injuries or structural damage were reported in the information released by fire officials.
Evacuation warnings issued as crews battled flames
As the fire spread through brush on the hillside, LAFD issued evacuation warnings for two Genasys zones, LFD-0895 and LFD-0967.
The warnings were precautionary and instructed people in the affected area to be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsened. Fire officials also said at the time that there was no indication of the fire’s cause.
The warnings were later lifted Wednesday night. According to a subsequent LAFD incident update, the evacuation warnings were lifted at 8:38 p.m., returning the affected Genasys zones to normal status.
Even after the warnings were lifted, firefighters remained in the area because stopping the forward movement of a brush fire does not necessarily mean that the fire is fully contained.
LAFD said crews would continue working at the scene until full containment was declared.
Firefighters used ground and air resources
The response involved a substantial number of firefighters and resources from multiple agencies.
After the fire was initially reported, LAFD requested additional hand crews and air resources. The department’s incident updates said the Los Angeles County Fire Department assisted with hand crews and helicopters, while the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Los Angeles Police Department also assisted with the response.
At the time forward progress was stopped, LAFD said approximately 185 firefighters remained on scene for mop-up and containment operations.
The hillside terrain presented another consideration for crews working after the main advance of the fire had been stopped. Mop-up operations focus on identifying and extinguishing remaining hot spots and securing the fire perimeter so that isolated areas of heat do not develop into renewed fire activity.
Getty Center closed during fire operations
The fire occurred close to the Getty Center, the museum and cultural complex located at 1200 Getty Center Drive above the 405 Freeway.
During the initial response, the Getty Center was evacuated for visitors and staff. Getty said its collections and art were safe while personnel coordinated with firefighters monitoring the situation.
The center remained closed to the public Thursday to support access for fire crews and ongoing operations in the area.
The closure was a precaution connected to the emergency response rather than a report of fire damage to the museum or its collections. The Getty Center is situated immediately west of the 405 Freeway and north of Sunset Boulevard, according to the institution’s visitor information.
For visitors, the closure meant that normal access to the museum was temporarily interrupted while emergency personnel continued working around the fire area.
Extreme heat added to difficult conditions
The fire response also took place during a period of unusually hot weather across Los Angeles County.
The National Weather Service had an Extreme Heat Warning in effect for the Los Angeles area, with temperatures and heat-index values elevated across Southern California. Forecast information for the area around Hollywood, near the Getty Center, called for temperatures around 101 degrees Wednesday and heat-index values reaching as high as 115 degrees in the broader area.
The weather conditions added another challenge for firefighters working for extended periods on a hillside while wearing protective equipment and conducting mop-up operations.
The remnants of former Hurricane Marie were also part of the broader Southern California weather picture. The National Hurricane Center had classified Marie as a post-tropical cyclone on Sept. 8, although the official fire information does not identify the storm as the cause of the Getty Fire.
Cause remains unknown
The cause of the Getty Fire has not been released.
In its initial incident information, LAFD specifically said there was no indication of the cause at that time. No later official information reviewed for this report establishes how the fire started.
The investigation therefore remains an important unanswered part of the incident.
There was also no immediate indication that the fire damaged the Getty Center itself. LAFD reported that no structures were threatened during the early stages of the response, while Getty confirmed that its collections and art were safe.
Mop-up and containment continue
Although the fire’s forward progress was stopped Wednesday evening and the evacuation warnings were lifted, firefighters continued working around the burn area Thursday.
The immediate objective was to strengthen containment lines, extinguish remaining hot spots and prevent any renewed fire activity.
LAFD’s subsequent updates show how the size and status of the incident continued to be assessed as crews worked the fire. By Sept. 11, the department reported improved mapping of the burn area and estimated the footprint at roughly 15 to 17 acres, with the fire listed at 80% containment. The department said drone flights found no hot spots within the interior and that crews were continuing to work the perimeter.
For the Getty Center, access restrictions remained an operational consideration while firefighters worked in the area. For residents and visitors near the 405 Freeway, the lifting of evacuation warnings marked a move away from the immediate threat, but the continued presence of fire crews reflected the need to complete containment work.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
