Thanks to a combination of many fire protection measures, the Getty Villa museum building survived the fire despite the surrounding houses and trees being burned down.
While the Palisades and Eaton fires burned thousands of hectares of land since January 7, destroying nearly 2,000 houses, the Getty Villa museum in Los Angeles still stood with negligible damage. On the contrary, surrounding houses and trees were destroyed by the fire. In an announcement on the morning of January 8, the museum thanked the Los Angeles Fire Department and many other units. The Getty Villa Museum belongs to the J. Paul Getty Foundation, which has the largest capital of any museum in the world, estimated at more than 8 billion USD by 2023. This is where the collection of Greek and Greek art is displayed. Ancient Rome’s fund.
Fire agencies use modern air handling systems to help protect buildings, according to Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the Getty Foundation. In addition, the engineer designed the gallery with a double wall structure, helping to protect the precious works of art inside. However, not only do optimal architecture and advanced firefighting measures help in fighting fires, museum staff regularly clear bushes in the surrounding area year-round in an effort to reduce fires. That’s a key lesson for residents in areas at risk of wildfires.
The Palisades became the most destructive fire ever to sweep through Los Angeles, according to CalFire data. The fire was fueled by flammable grass and shrubs that spread over the past two winters due to more rain than usual. But drought conditions in recent months have also fueled the fire’s rapid spread.
To reduce the risk of fires, cities, fire departments and communities need to clear dead vegetation from residential areas. People can protect their homes by clearing a 1.5 – 2 meter perimeter around the house and removing flammable materials such as ornamental plants, bark mulch or old furniture. “This is an urban fire, burning with urban fuel,” emphasized Pat Durland, a wildfire prevention expert at the National Fire Protection Association. Clearing gutters and roofs also helps prevent flashpoints that could cause the entire structure to catch fire, Durland emphasizes. Homeowners can also install non-combustible screens over any vents to prevent flames from entering the home through that route.