More evacuation orders were lifted Thursday in the area of the Getty Fire in the Sepulveda Pass as fire crews continued efforts to extend containment lines around the four-day-old blaze amid continued gusting winds.
The bulk of evacuation orders, which at one point affected 10,000 homes and commercial buildings, were lifted Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department shrank the evacuation zone again.
The only remaining orders in place were for homes and businesses on Tigertail Road between Deerbrook Lane and Chickory Lane, Stonehill Lane, Lindenwood Lane, Sky Lane, Canna Road, Chickory Lane, Bluestone Trail to Bluegrass Way, Bluegrass Lane and Bluestone Lane.
It was unclear how many residents live in the affected area.
At the height of the fire, the evacuation zone stretched from the San Diego (405) Freeway west to Temescal Canyon Road, between Sunset Boulevard and Mulholland Drive.
As of Thursday evening, the fire was listed at 745 acres, with containment at 52%.
The fire has destroyed 10 homes — many along Tigertail Road — since erupting around 1:30 a.m. Monday and 15 other homes were damaged. Two firefighters have suffered minor injuries battling the blaze.
Fire officials said Thursday night crews would be focusing efforts building upon containment lines.
“Conditions remain favorable for dangerous fire growth and behavior,” according to LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart, who said 604 firefighters remain assigned to the incident.
A red flag warning of critical fire conditions expired at 6 p.m. for much of the Southland, but it will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Friday for Los Angeles County Mountains and the Angeles National Forest.
National Weather Service forecasters said “weaker and more localized winds” are expected Thursday night through Friday, and “they should be just strong enough to keep critical conditions going through Friday in the windiest locations.”
The weather service forecast winds in the affected area of 15 to 25 mph, gusting up to 35 mph, coupled with dry conditions — humidity levels of 2 to 8%.
Fire officials had expressed fear about the gusting winds potentially sparking flare-ups within the Getty Fire area, or carrying smoldering embers to new locations and setting off new blazes.
Meanwhile, the bulk of Los Angeles Unified School District that had been closed after the fire erupted early Monday morning were back open Thursday, with the exception of Kenter Canyon Elementary, Topanga Elementary Charter and Palisades Charter High School. Those three schools were all scheduled to reopen Friday.
All schools in Malibu also remained closed on Thursday out of an abundance of caution due to the red flag conditions, according to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
Corpus Christi Elementary School in Pacific Palisades and St. Martin of Tours Elementary School in Brentwood were also closed Thursday, according to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
With most evacuation orders lifted, evacuation centers that were established at Westwood Recreation Center at 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd., and the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real Drive, were closed Thursday evening.
Evacuation centers for animals were established at the West Valley Animal Shelter at 20655 Plummer St., and the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter at 11361 Pico Blvd. Hansen Dam Recreation Center at 11770 Foothill Blvd. in Lake View Terrace was opened to receive large animals.
The Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday began escorting residents still under evacuation orders back to their homes — for about 10 minutes — to allow them to retrieve medications or pets they may have left behind when they were evacuated.
Authorities confirmed Tuesday afternoon the Getty Fire was caused by gusting winds that severed a tree branch and blew it into a Department of Water & Power electrical line, causing sparks that fell onto the brush below.
“This was, simply put, … an act of God,” Garcetti said.
The San Diego Freeway, a southbound stretch of which was closed for much of the day Monday, was open through the Sepulveda Pass, and all exit ramps between the Ventura (101) Freeway in Sherman Oaks to Sunset Boulevard reopened about 9 p.m. Wednesday, with the exception of the Skirball Center Drive off-ramp, authorities said.
Southbound Sepulveda Boulevard was open, except for the stretch between Skirball Center Drive and Sunset Boulevard, which was restricted to residents with identification only, according to the LAFD.
The Getty Center museum and Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades will remain closed Friday, but are scheduled to reopen Saturday.
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