Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed on Wednesday due to fire and wind conditions in Los Angeles, Universal announced in a statement. The park, which is located in the San Fernando Valley away from most of the devastation, said it expects to be back open on Thursday but will continue to monitor the situation as devastating fires are still burning.
The strongest Santa Ana winds in over a decade that whipped wildfire and chaos through the west side of Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades on Tuesday worsened overnight, with 2,921 acres burned at 0% containment as of Wednesday morning.
The Getty Villa museum, Palisades High School and the Bel Air Beach Club were among the locations affected by the raging flames that the fire department struggled to get under control amid howling winds. Grounds at the Getty were burned, although the priceless antiquities in the villa were reported safe. Palisades High School, meanwhile, became engulfed in flames and in videos shared online appeared in a dire state.
In Hollywood, many industry events have been halted due to the fires and weather. Premieres for “Unstoppable,” “Better Man” and “The Pitt” were all axed, and the SAG Awards decided to cancel their in-person nominations. President Joe Biden even postponed a Tuesday speaking engagement in Joshua Tree due to the winds.
