Getty Fire
{{Short description|2019 wildfire in Southern California}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox wildfire
| title = Getty Fire
| image = 2019 Getty Fire smoke from Santa Monica.jpg
| caption = Smoke from the Getty Fire seen from Santa Monica, California
| reference =
| date = {{Unbulleted list|{{Start date|2019|10|28}} – |{{End date|2019|11|05}}{{cite web|title=Getty Fire|url=https://www.lafd.org/news/getty-fire|work=Los Angeles Fire Department|access-date=1 November 2019}}}}
| location = Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
| coordinates = {{coord|34.0972|-118.4803|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = USA California Southern
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Southern California
| cost =
| area = {{convert|745|acre|ha|0|abbr=on}}
| buildings = 10
| cause =
| landuse =
| injuries = 5
| fatalities = 0
| perps =
| motive =
}}
{{OSM Location map
| coord = {{coord|34.0972|-118.4803}}
| zoom = 10
| float = right
| width = 250
| height = 200
| caption = Location of Getty Fire
| title =
| scalemark = 100
| shape1 = image
| mark1 = FireIcon.svg
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|34.0972|-118.4803}}
| mark-size1 = 20
| label1 = Getty Fire
| label-pos1 = left
| label-size1 = 14
|label-color1 = black
| label-offset-x1=
| label-offset-y1=
|mark-title1=Easy Fire
}}
The Getty Fire was a 2019 wildfire that burned {{convert|745|acre|ha|0|abbr=on}} in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. The fire was first reported on October 28, 2019 and was contained on November 5, 2019. Thousands of people were forced to flee,{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates-massive-evacuations-underway-los-angeles-getty/story?id=66579976|title=Thousands Forced to Flee as Getty Fire Threatens Los Angeles|last=Shapiro|first=Emily|date=2019-10-28|website=ABC News|language=en-US}} 10 homes were destroyed and 15 residences were damaged.
Progression
The fire is believed to have started around 1:30 a.m. along the 405 at Getty Center Drive. A tree branch broke and landed in nearby power lines, causing them to spark and arc - igniting nearby brush.{{cite web |url= https://www.lafd.org/news/getty-fire |title= Getty Fire |publisher= Los Angeles Fire Department |date= 2019-11-05 |access-date= 2020-05-18}}
More than 1,000 firefighters along with Aerial firefighting fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters battled the blaze in steep and challenging terrain. Spurred on by 50+ mph Santa Ana winds, flames quickly licked brush along the Interstate 405 Freeway, triggering closure of all southbound lanes, and moved west into the canyons. The Getty Center — which was built to withstand fires and where firefighters were stationed to assist with logistics for helicopter operations — was never threatened.{{cite web |url= https://la.curbed.com/2019/10/28/20935984/getty-fire-mandatory-evacuations-map |title= Getty Fire evacuation orders lifted as winds relax, containment at 66 percent |publisher= Curbed - Los Angeles |date= 2019-11-01 |access-date= May 18, 2020}}
Effects
File:Gavin Newsom and Eric Garcetti at the Getty Fire.jpg speaks with Governor Gavin Newsom and fire crews at the Getty Fire.]]The borders of the mandatory evacuation zone were: Temescal Canyon Road on the west, Sunset Boulevard on the south, Mulholland Drive on the north and I-405 on the east.{{cite news |publisher=ABC 7 |date=October 30, 2019 | title=Getty Fire Map: Road, school closures continue as mandatory evacuations ordered near museum}} By Oct. 30 some residents were allowed to return home, but evacuation orders remained in effect for those between Kenter Canyon, the 405 and Mountaingate Avenue until Nov. 2.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/most-mandatory-evacuations-lifted-for-los-angeles-getty-fire-fire-officials|title=Most Getty Fire mandatory evacuations lifted in Los Angeles, officials say|last=Stimson|first=Brie|date=2019-10-31|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04}} The UCLA campus, which is located about 2 miles from the fire, cancelled classes for 45,000 students, and some twenty elementary and secondary schools closed as well.{{cite news| publisher=USA Today | date=October 29, 2019 | title=New wildfire sends more fleeing: Thousands in California ordered to leave homes | author1=John Bacon |author2=Chris Woodyard |page=3A}}
A power outage due to the blaze left roughly 900 customers without power in Bel Air, Brentwood and Westwood. Southern California Edison preemptively turned off power for nearly 16,000 customers shortly after the blaze broke out.{{cite news| publisher=ABC 7 | date=October 30, 2019 | title=Getty Fire Map: Road, school closures continue as mandatory evacuations ordered near museum}}
The LA Times cast light on the communication gaps that arise amid the confusion of such an evacuation in columnist Frank Shyong's piece, "Why did no one warn the housekeepers about the Getty Fire?" He observed gardeners, housekeepers and other domestic workers reporting for work during the fire and questioned the efforts at communication from both the employers and city.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-04/wildfires-immigrants-housekeepers|title=Column: Why did no one warn the housekeepers about the Getty fire?|date=2019-11-04|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04}}
{{clear}}
Fire growth and containment progress
References
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category}}
{{California wildfires}}
Category:2019 California wildfires
Category:Wildfires in Los Angeles County, California