As wildfires rage in Southern California, UCLA Anderson School of Management was forced to cancel classes today. The Skirball Fire, named for the Skirball Cultural Center near where the fire is believed to have originated, broke out early Wednesday morning. It also caused the closure of the famed Getty Center and Museum. The fire is just one of four blazes currently burning in areas around Los Angeles as powerful Santa Ana winds combine dangerously with extremely dry conditions.
All classes beginning at noon or later today, December 6th, were cancelled across the UCLA campus, including at the business school. While the campus itself was reported to be safe, difficult traffic conditions related to the fire prevented many students, faculty, and staff from reaching the school, leading to the decision to cancel classes. The fire caused a complete closure of the 405 Freeway, a main artery in the congested Los Angeles region.
Just in: All classes at UCLA Anderson are CANCELLED for today, 12/6, given access challenges because of the nearby #wildfires. The area surrounding campus should be avoided if possible. Please check this website for updates on the UCLA campus: https://t.co/JD2ncU82Ex
— UCLA Anderson (@uclaanderson) December 6, 2017
For periods of the day, UCLA was forced to operate on internal power only, required that power be cut to non-essential buildings. The UCLA Department of Recreation also cancelled all outdoor recreation for the remainder of the day and recommended that members of the community avoid outdoor activity and strenuous indoor activity due to air quality concerns.
Evacuations were not anticipated, and as of 4:30 p.m. ET, the 405 Freeway had reopened in both directions.
USC Marshall School of Business, located 13 miles east of UCLA closer to downtown Los Angeles, was unaffected by the blaze, though it retweeted a message of support from the larger University of Southern California for any students affected by the wildfires and encouraging affected students and their families to take advantage of student counseling services.
