If you’ve ever stood at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains and looked up at the travertine fortress that is the Getty Center, you’ve probably had the same thought I did. It looks like a billionaire’s bunker. And honestly, in a way, it kind of is. But instead of hoarding gold or dehydrated kale, it’s hoarding some of the most irreplaceable art in human history.
Whenever the 405 freeway starts smelling like a campfire and the hills turn orange, the same question hits every local's group chat: is the Getty Center safe from the fire?
The short answer? Yes.
The long answer is much cooler. It involves millions of gallons of water, specialized crushed stone, and a sophisticated internal air pressure system that literally fights off smoke like a medieval castle fending off a siege.
People panic when they see the Getty surrounded by flames, like during the 2017 Skirball Fire or the 2019 Getty Fire. From a distance, it looks terrifying. The Getty Fire in 2019 was particularly gnarly—it started right along the freeway and chewed through the scrub brush toward the museum. But while neighbors were evacuating and losing homes, the Getty staff stayed put. They didn't even move the paintings. They didn't have to.
The Travertine Shield and Why it Doesn't Burn
Richard Meier, the architect behind the Getty, didn't just pick those 1.2 million square feet of Italian travertine because they look pretty at sunset. He picked them because stone doesn't burn. But it's more than just the walls.
The entire campus is a masterclass in fire suppression.
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Basically, the Getty is built on a "defensible space" philosophy that would make a forestry expert weep with joy. The hillsides surrounding the museum are meticulously landscaped. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about fuel management. They plant fire-resistant species and, perhaps most famously, they bring in goats. Hundreds of goats. These four-legged lawnmowers eat the brush down to the dirt, ensuring that if a fire does start, it has nothing to eat by the time it reaches the museum's perimeter.
Think about it this way. Fire needs three things: heat, oxygen, and fuel. The Getty spends a fortune making sure that third ingredient is nowhere to be found near the buildings.
The Roof You Can’t Ignite
Underneath the visible architecture lies a complex drainage and gravel system. Most museum roofs are a liability in a wildfire because embers—those flying bits of burning wood—can land on them and start a "spot fire." Not here. The Getty uses a thick layer of crushed stone on the rooftops. These stones act as a heat sink. If an ember lands on the roof, it hits rock, not roofing paper or wood. It just sits there and goes out.
It’s simple. It’s effective. It’s brilliant.
Is the Getty Center Safe From the Fire When the Smoke Hits?
Fire is the obvious villain, but smoke is the silent killer for art. Carbon particles and acidic soot can ruin a 17th-century oil painting faster than you’d think. This is where most people get worried. Even if the building doesn't burn, won't the smoke get inside?
Nope.
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The Getty has an HVAC system that is basically the "Fort Knox" of air filtration. When sensors detect smoke outside, the system doesn't just shut the windows—it goes into a pressurized "recirculation" mode. By increasing the internal air pressure, the building literally pushes air out through any tiny cracks or door seals. This prevents outside air (and the smoke it carries) from seeping in.
Inside, the air is scrubbed through massive banks of carbon filters. During the 2019 fire, the air quality inside the galleries remained cleaner than a hospital operating room while the outside was a literal hellscape of ash and soot.
Why They Don't Evacuate the Art
You might wonder why they don't just load the Van Gogh's into a truck and drive away. Honestly, that would be way more dangerous. Moving a painting like Irises involves humidity changes, physical vibration, and the risk of accidents. The safest place for the art is exactly where it hangs.
The museum is designed so that each gallery can be partitioned off. If a fire somehow breached one room (which has never happened), the others would remain sealed and protected. It's built in "cells," much like a submarine.
The Million-Gallon Secret Under Your Feet
Underneath the parking garage and the tram tracks, there is a massive water tank. We are talking about a 1-million-gallon reserve. This isn't for the toilets or the fountains; it's for the sprinklers.
If the city's water lines were to melt or lose pressure during a catastrophic fire—which happens more often than you'd think in major wildfires—the Getty is completely self-sufficient. They have their own pumps and enough water to douse the entire complex for hours on end without needing a single drop from the DWP.
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Lessons from the Skirball and Getty Fires
We’ve seen the Getty tested. Twice in the last decade, the fires got close enough to lick the edges of the property. In 2017, the Skirball Fire burned right up to the 405. The images were apocalyptic.
I remember talking to a local who was convinced the Getty was toast. But the museum’s spokesperson, Ron Hartwig at the time, was incredibly calm. He basically explained that the building is the most secure place for the collection. The staff actually stayed inside. They have a command center that monitors every square inch of the property via thermal cameras. They can see a hot spot forming on a hillside before a human eye would even notice the smoke.
- Goat Power: They use goats to clear 19 acres of brush annually.
- The Stone: 16,000 tons of travertine limestone.
- The Air: High-tech carbon filtration that blocks micron-sized soot.
- The Water: A 1-million-gallon dedicated fire tank.
The reality is that the Getty is safer than your house. It’s safer than my house. It is quite possibly the safest structure in the Western United States when it comes to fire resistance.
What You Should Actually Do During an LA Fire
If you are a tourist or a local and a fire breaks out while you’re planning a visit, check the Getty’s official website or Twitter (X) feed. They are very transparent.
Usually, the biggest reason they close isn't because the building is at risk, but because of the tram. The tram that takes you from the parking lot to the top of the hill is vulnerable to power outages and smoke. Also, they don't want visitors clogging up the 405 when fire engines need the lanes.
If the Getty is closed, it’s for your convenience and safety on the road, not because the paintings are in danger of melting.
Actionable Steps for the Next Fire Season
- Monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI): Even if the Getty is open, the outdoor gardens might be miserable if the AQI is over 150. Use the AirNow.gov site to check the specific 90049 zip code.
- Download the Getty App: If you’re at the museum and see smoke, don't panic. Follow the staff's instructions. They are trained for this, and the building is literally designed to be your shield.
- Check the 405 Status: Fires in the Sepulveda Pass almost always trigger lane closures. If there’s a fire, avoid the area entirely, even if the Getty says they are "open." Getting stuck on the freeway near a fire is a real danger; being inside the Getty is not.
- Trust the Architecture: Understand that the Getty is a "shelter-in-place" facility. In a worst-case scenario, the safest place for the people inside is to stay inside rather than trying to flee down a burning hillside.
The Getty Center remains a gold standard for how to build in a fire-prone landscape. It’s a mix of ancient materials—stone and water—and futuristic tech. So next time you see those hills burning on the news, take a deep breath. The Rembrandts are going to be just fine.