California Wildfires Rage On, Force Evacuations and Attraction Closures

California’s battle with wildfires continues to grow as unprecedented winds in Ventura County prompted new evacuations of several communities and put nearby coastal and inland towns under threat, according to the LA Times.

As of this morning, officials had closed the 101 Freeway between Routes 126 and 150, leaving no open routes between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and there was no sign of the fires letting up soon. Strong winds are causing the flames to spread quickly, and over 100,000 residents have been evacuated and thousands of homes have been consumed by the flames.

The following attractions in and around Los Angeles are currently closed: Getty Center, which includes the Getty Museum; the Skirball Cultural Center, Discovery Cube LA, Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Hammer Museum. Also, there are smoke advisories in effect for the San Fernando Valley and coastal areas.

Griffith Observatory is running on a normal schedule.

According to Discover Los Angeles, there are currently four fires, all of which are centered in residential areas: the Thomas Fire is in Ventura County, 64 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles; the Creek fire is in the San Fernando Valley, 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles; the Rye fire, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles; and the Skirball fire, near the Getty Center.

It was unclear at press time which hotels, if any, had been evacuated. The most endangered spots affected are in and around Bel Air, the affluent suburb of Los Angeles that is home to many celebrities.

For up-to-date information on visitor impact from the fires, go to Discover Los Angeles.