Malibu, 300 LAUSD and Calabasas Schools Remain Closed due to #Creekfire

Latest on #CreekFire: -Fire is 10% contained-15 buildings destroyed, 15 damaged-Some evac orders will be cleared. Updates here: http://emergency.lacity.org/creek-fire

-LAUSD schools remain closed, but libraries will be open. The situation is STILL insecure - embers & hotspots are a risk. State Sen. Bob Hertzberg, Twitter.

Smoky Monica: 405 and other Fires Smoke Out the Town

The worst wind blown, Santa Ana fire event in Southern California history, resulted in smoke and health warnings in Santa Monica Tuesday through Friday.

Breathing was difficult throughout the Westside. People stayed in doors, or left town to avoid the widespread fire event, which unfolded first in Ventura County with the Creek Fire and Thomas Fire.

The Skirball Center Fire next to the 405 closed the freeway, caused 20,000 people to evacuate their Brentwood homes. The Getty Center closed but it's artwork was not moved. The Getty has 1,000,000 gallons of water on deposit, to douse any fire, and to spray down the walls.

SMMUSD schools were closed early on Tuesday and completely closed Wednesday and Thursday. "We are concerned about staff and families as this smoke, air quality and fire threat may turn very quickly throughout the day," wrote school Superintendent Ben Drati.

"This decision was not made randomly. Our Emergency Operations Team gathered this afternoon to discuss next steps. Various factors were considered in our decision including continued unhealthy air quality expected tomorrow, and High winds predicted up to 80 mph gusts in our area."

Fortunately winds of that intensity did not materialize. Traffic was light on the 405 freeway, which appeared to be in flames early Tuesday, in photos seen around the world.

Skirball Center Brush Fire Prompts Evacuations in Bel Air

Firefighters put out a raging 475-acre brush fire that shut down the 405 Freeway near the world-famous Getty Center for part of Tuesday afternoon, prompting mandatory evacuations for residents and shutting down one of the busiest freeways in the US.

By 1 p.m., all lanes were reopened, but the damage to the already taxing LA commute had been done. The blaze was at 5 percent containment by Wednesday evening.

The blaze, dubbed the Skirball Fire, was reported at 4:52 a.m. Wednesday. It was accompanied by Santa Ana winds of 25 mph, which have helped spur several devastating wildfires across Southern California this week.

Four structures were destroyed, and 11 were damaged, though officials warned that that number could grow. The Getty museum is threatened and closed to the public Wednesday. The cause of the fire is unknown.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti declared what became known as "the Skirball Fire" a local state of emergency in an afternoon news conference.

The Getty Center is a 20-year-old complex of dramatic buildings made largely out of beige travertine stone surrounding an intricate garden. It has a sweeping view of Los Angeles from the hills in the east to the sea in the west and contains American, European and Asian art.

"Air filtration systems are protecting the galleries from smoke. We continue to monitor the situation and will issue updates as we have them," the museum tweeted.

Mandatory Evacuations:

Check LAFD website for the latest. Thursday, residents within the following boundaries were under mandatory evacuations: South of Mulholland Drive, east of the 405 Freeway, north of Sunset Boulevard, to west of Roscomare Road.

Residents near Mandeville Canyon and Sullivan Canyon "should be ready to go," authorities said. "Residents from Sunset to the south and Rosomare to the east should also have a bag packed and be prepared for evacuations."

School Closures:

All Santa Monica-Malibu Los Angeles Unified School District and Conejo Unified School District schools closed Wednesday and Thursday due to the fire. Oakwood School and Marymount High School also announced closures for Wednesday classes.

The campus of UCLA canceled all classes for Thursday.

Santa Monica College, as well as American Jewish University and Marymount High School were closed. UCLA and SMC reopened on Friday, though many students had left town.