Some visitor attractions and hotels in the Los Angeles area remained shuttered Thursday as wildfires continued to tear through parts of Los Angeles County. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday as the flames destroyed homes and businesses.
The Palisades Fire, which began Tuesday, has burned through more than 17,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Airbnb, Signature Travel Network and Internova are among those to announce assistance programs.
"We are heartbroken to see the devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires," the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board said. "As this challenging and ongoing situation unfolds, our focus remains on the safety and well-being of residents, visitors and first responders in affected areas across our City. We urge everyone to stay informed through the Los Angeles Fire Department to follow all warnings and evacuation orders from first responders."
Structures in Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park burned, including the historic Topanga Ranch Motel once owned by William Randolph Hearst. State parks employees were able to evacuate the horses and important artifacts before the fire tore through the park.
The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, which displays Greek and Roman art, and the Getty Center were not damaged in the fire, although the fire reached Getty Villa's grounds and burned up some vegetation. Getty said on Facebook that it had made efforts to minimize fire damage, including removing brush from the property and storing water. The museum's collections were not damaged, Getty reported.
The tourism board said that more sites had closed Thursday as the fire raged, including the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Griffith Observatory, access to the Hollywood sign, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and its tar pits.
As of Thursday, five fires were burning in the area, according to Cal Fire. A new fire, dubbed the Sunset Fire, ignited in the Hollywood Hills area Wednesday afternoon, and an evacuation order had at one point stretched to Hollywood Boulevard, encompassing the TCL Chinese Theater and the Ovation Hollywood center, as well as landmarks like the Capitol Records building and the Hollywood Bowl.
After being closed for two days because of the wildfires, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk reopened on Friday.
In a statement on its website, Universal said the theme park and the dining-and-entertainment district will have regular operating hours. Universal Studios Hollywood will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and CityWalk will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The theme park will also have early admission starting at 9 a.m. With an early access ticket, which start at $20, guests can enter the popular Super Nintendo World one hour before the scheduled park opening.
"As always, the safety of our team members and our guests is
our top priority," Universal said of its closure. "We continue to assess the situation
and are directing guests to visit our website for updates."
The iconic Hollywood Sign announced its closure on Facebook. It was not immediately clear when access to the landmark would reopen.
A day-tour operator assess the scene
Dustin Teichman, president and owner of Good Times Travel, a tour operator based in Fountain Valley, Calif., said that as of now, the company's single-day tours to Los Angeles have not been affected.
January and February tend to be a slow time of year for the day tours, he said, adding that the next is scheduled for Jan. 26 for a visit to Warner Bros. Studios. His clients are primarily those who live in the region and want to tour a museum or enjoy a lunch and a show in L.A.
The company is staying informed of the latest developments with the fires and keeping an eye on places the tours frequent, such as the Getty Villa and the Mount Wilson Observatory. At least one place its tours visit, the Will Rogers ranch house, has burned.
Good Times Travel also offers driving tours in the Malibu and Santa Monica areas, which the company is prepared to adjust, Teichman said. If needed, the company might pivot to offering day tours of San Diego or Palm Springs.
"Our issues are minor compared to theirs," he said of residents affected by the blaze.
Princess offers passengers a credit
While Princess Cruises ships leaving from the Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro are unaffected by the wildfires, the line is offering guests impacted by the devastation an opportunity to cancel their upcoming sailing.
Guests who wish to cancel their cruise scheduled to depart between Jan. 11 and Jan. 30 will receive a future cruise credit equal to the value of their booking. They will also receive a full refund for any additional purchases, such as shore excursions or Princess packages, according to a spokeswoman.
The future cruise credits will be valid for any Princess cruise departing from Los Angeles in 2025.
Hotels open doors to residents
Hotels along Southern California's coast issued operational updates amid the region's ongoing fires, with conditions varying from complete closures in Malibu to properties in Santa Monica that remained open and were sheltering evacuees.
The Hotel Association of Los Angeles said that hotels were taking in "thousands" of Angelenos displaced by the fires.
"Many of our hotels are providing guests with discounted rates and the necessities they may have left behind in their evacuation, including toiletries," the association said. "Many hotels are also taking in pets. Our hotels are also working to donate bedding and personal care items to temporary shelters."
The Malibu Beach Inn said on its website that it had temporarily closed due to mandatory evacuations from the Palisades Fire. The oceanfront property was directing guests to contact them via email or phone for questions about reservations.
The Surfrider Malibu has also suspended operations, citing high winds and the continuing threat of fires. The hotel said via Instagram that it would remain closed until evacuation orders are lifted and officials confirm it is safe to reopen.
Further south in Santa Monica, the situation as of midday Jan. 8 appeared to be less severe. A spokesperson from the Fairmont Miramar said that the hotel remained outside the mandated evacuation area, though it was currently under an evacuation advisory. The hotel said it is receiving real-time updates from the Santa Monica Fire Department and local authorities.
On Instagram, the Sandbourne Santa Monica, which is part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, announced special rates for affected residents and evacuees. The hotel is offering a rate to those who can present valid identification showing a Palisades or Santa Monica address.
The Regent Santa Monica Beach also said it remained operational and was able to provide shelter to those displaced by the fires.
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, the city's tourism organization, published a list of hotels that were offering discounts or waiving resort fees for evacuated residents.
While there are no evacuation orders in Santa Monica, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism is closely monitoring the Palisades Fire," it said. "Residents and visitors are asked to avoid nonessential travel in northern portions of the city to facilitate evacuations and assist first responders."
According to TravelAge West, a sister publication to Travel Weekly, other hotels and accommodations in the area were offering discounted or free stays to displaced residents.
One of those hotels, Shutters on the Beach, said it has been offering shelter to those displaced by the fires. As of Jan. 8, the property said it was at capacity.
This report was updated on Jan. 10 with new information throughout.