10 Jul 2009

Getty Museum closed by brush fire

12:04 pm on 10 July 2009

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the Getty art museum in Los Angeles due to a nearby mountain brush fire.

The fire broke out around 1300 local time (2000 GMT) on Thursday and spread to at least 32 hectares of hillside near the Getty Centre car park.

About 200 fire-fighters are battling the blaze. California fire officials said no houses are threatened.

The BBC reports the museum remains closed. It contains priceless works such as van Gogh's Irises.

A bush fire in the mountains near Santa Barbara in October last year destroyed 80 houses and forced 30,000 people to flee.