CAMPUS STATUS: OPEN
UCLA Pivoting to Modified Operations on Friday 1/17 at 5 p.m. - UCLA Health Hospitals are OPEN
For general campus updates and resources on the L.A. fires, please visit the UCLA Newsroom.
Recent Updates
The red flag warning that was in effect for our area has been lifted, indicating that the current weather conditions have shifted in our favor. We are optimistic about how things are trending: emergency responders are making progress in combating the fires, wind speed is diminishing and projections show continued safer air quality on campus. Based on all the latest available information, we are pivoting UCLA’s operational status from emergency to modified beginning Friday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m.
Classes will continue to be offered remotely this week. The Academic Senate’s declaration of remote instruction expires with the end of emergency operating status. In-person classes will meet as regularly scheduled beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21 after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday.
In-person work will also resume starting this weekend for those who have been working remotely, though we continue to ask supervisors to be flexible during this challenging period.
Any students or employees who need accommodations should reach out to their faculty and supervisors to discuss options.
UCLA’s Consortium of Schools — Geffen Academy, UCLA Lab School and our Early Care and Education Programs — are open. UCLA Extension will resume in person starting Tuesday; UNEX classes over the weekend will remain remote and the Gayley Resource Center is open for any UNEX students who need assistance.
View campus status updates on UCLA Newsroom and read Chancellor Frenk’s message to the Bruin community.
We recognize it will take a long time to recover from this regional disaster. We are in direct contact with and actively assisting students and employees who have lost their homes due to the fires. UCLA Newsroom has also compiled ways to give and receive aid, including through the Student Economic Crisis Fund and the Employee Relief Fund.
Please continue to stay safe and support one another as we return to campus.
We recognize that many people have questions about the various air quality index (AQI) numbers available from different sources across Los Angeles. There are different methodologies used by various entities, and the varying methodologies may cause data to differ at specific points in time. Some factors that may impact data include, but are not limited to, the number of sites and the location from which air sensors draw, the types of pollutants they are measuring, the relative weight of these pollutants/components used in their calculation, and the way in which averages and/or aggregate data are calculated.
UCLA uses multiple sensors located on the campus to determine the AQI and utilizes the same NowCast methodology used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to inform our decision-making regarding campus operations. Please continue to check UCLA’s AirQual website to see air quality at UCLA. Additionally, we created a dedicated site that provides more explanation and detail on how campus air quality is measured and monitored.
UCLA campus operations are running on an emergency status.
UCLA is not under an evacuation warning at this time; on Friday, January 10, an evacuation warning was issued for the zone adjacent to UCLA, due to the Palisades fire.
Undergraduate and graduate classes have moved to remote instruction through Friday, January 17.
Bruin Wildfire Relief Fund
Our hearts are heavy as we continue to witness the devastation caused by the fires throughout L.A. County. Many of our students, faculty and staff have suffered great losses and displacement due to the fires.
In response to the crisis, we’d like to share information about opportunities to support our affected staff, faculty and students during this challenging time.
Students who have been impacted by the fires are turning to UCLA’s Economic Crisis Response Center for urgent support, including emergency housing, meal vouchers and additional campus resources. If you would like to help, please consider making a gift to the Economic Crisis Fund, which directly aids students in need.
At the same time, UCLA is actively coordinating resources to assist those employed by UCLA in varying capacities including faculty, staff and researchers who have been impacted by this tragedy. We’ve established two disaster relief funds to help those impacted by unexpected financial expenses caused by the recent fires in Los Angeles. If you would like to support our employees, please make a gift to the UCLA Employee Relief Fund, or the UCLA Health Employee Relief Fund to assist those who work in patient care and David Geffen School of Medicine faculty and employees.
UC System First Responders
The UCLA Police Department has joined forces with mutual aid partners this week to assist in response efforts, providing vital support at fire command posts and assisting the UCLA Office of Emergency Management.
UCLA’s campus is not currently under an evacuation warning, and it has not been throughout the course of the fires. But we have also been glad to welcome first responders from other UC campuses, who traveled to join those on the front lines in Los Angeles County.
The UC Davis Fire Department’s Brush Truck 34 left campus last week as part of a Yolo County strike team and is currently assisting with the battle against the Eaton Fire. Meanwhile, Interim UC Davis Fire Chief Nathaniel Hartinger has joined coordination efforts on the UCLA campus as it operates under emergency status.
The UC Irvine Police Department has also joined the Los Angeles Fire Department, Calfire, the Pasadena Police Department and other first responders on the Eaton fire, patrolling evacuated areas in Altadena and Pasadena to deter looting.
UC Irvine and UC Riverside, as well as multiple California State University campuses, are standing at the ready to assist with housing and transportation if the UCLA campus were to ever come under an evacuation warning or order.
UC San Francisco has donated 1,000 N95 masks for California National Guard service members deployed to Los Angeles.
Fellow Bruins, we are always here to support you in any way we can.
Please stay safe and vigilant.
UCLA campus operations are running on an emergency status.
UCLA is not under an evacuation warning at this time; on Friday, January 10, an evacuation warning was issued for the zone adjacent to UCLA, due to the Palisades fire.
Undergraduate and graduate classes have moved to remote instruction through Friday, January 17.
Situational Status: Impact of the wildfires on the Bruin community
A significant number of staff, faculty and students live in areas that are subject to evacuation warnings and mandatory evacuation orders; and some in our Bruin community are suffering loss and displacement due to the wildfires. UCLA is monitoring in real time the number of members of our community who are affected.
UCLA’s campus is not currently under an evacuation warning, and it has not been under one over the course of the fires.
As of Tuesday, January 14, 607 students live in the areas in Los Angeles County that are under either a warning or mandatory evacuation order (data does not include the professional schools). In total over the course of the week, 1,149 students have been under either evacuation warnings or mandatory evacuation orders over the time of this crisis.
As of Tuesday, January 14, 2,095 members of our faculty and staff live in the areas that are under either a warning or mandatory evacuation order. In total over the course of the week, 3,348 have been under either evacuation warnings or mandatory evacuation orders over the time of this crisis.
Once again, UCLA itself is not currently under an evacuation warning.
For details on UCLA’s monitoring of the fires with LAFD Unified Command and emergency planning, please watch the recordings of our town halls. The first town hall, for faculty and staff, was held Jan. 13 (available for viewing here) and the second, for students, took place Jan. 14 (available for viewing here). Below is our upcoming town hall on Thursday. Please register in advance:
All campus: 10 a.m on Thursday, Jan. 16
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers open
Two FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened on Tuesday. The centers will assist Californians who suffered damage to their primary home, personal property loss or have disaster-caused emergency needs related to the wildfires. At the center, people can get help applying for federal assistance, speak to representatives from state and federal agencies, receive updates on their FEMA application for assistance and learn about the appeals process. One of the centers is close to campus in a UCLA facility. Their locations and hours are:
- UCLA Research Park West
10850 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Hours of operation – Daily: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. - Pasadena City College Community Education Center
3035 East Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91106
Hours of operation – Daily: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FEMA financial assistance may include money for basic home repairs, personal property losses or other uninsured, disaster-related needs such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral, or dental expenses.
It is not necessary to go to a center to apply for FEMA assistance. The fastest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via the FEMA app. You may also call 1-800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone, or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
Los Angeles County survivors who register for FEMA assistance will receive a decision letter by mail or on their DisasterAssistance.gov account. For more information, visit https://www.ca.gov/lafires/.
UCLA campus operations are running on an emergency status.
UCLA is not under an evacuation warning at this time; on Friday, January 10, an evacuation warning was issued for the zone adjacent to UCLA, due to the Palisades fire.
Undergraduate and graduate classes have moved to remote instruction through Friday, January 17.
UCLA Town Halls today
Students and parents are invited to listen and take part in today’s virtual town halls. Please register at the links below.
- Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. – Town Hall for Students
- Hosted by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Monroe Gorden, Jr.
- Will include representatives from Academic Affairs, Administration, Dean of Students, Housing, Residential Life
- Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m. – Town Hall for Parents
- Hosted by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Monroe Gorden, Jr. and leaders from Alumni Affairs
- Will include representatives from Student Affairs, Alumni Affairs, Undergraduate Education, Administration
Shelters available for affected communities
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local agencies to open emergency shelters and provide essential services, serving those who live in areas that have been devastated by the wildfires. While UCLA’s campus is not under an evacuation warning, some in our Bruin community have been grievously affected by these wildfires, and are suffering loss and displacement.
One of the centers serving these communities is the Westwood Recreation Center near campus. Find a complete list of shelters open now at this link: Cal OES News
UCLA is also providing housing for employees who have lost their homes to the fires. Please reach out to uclahousing@housing.ucla.edu to learn more. Read more about resources in this message to employees.
Relevant Emergency LinksCal-Fire & Cal-OES Resources
Emergency Shelter Availability (Updated Daily)
COVID-19 Protocols
Westwood Campus Operating Status
Campus Air Quality
UCLA has air-quality sensors in strategic spots around campus to provide real-time assessments of air quality in our immediate vicinity. These sensors offer a more accurate reflection of the air quality on campus than community and city sensors that may sit in other locations across the region. Visit the UCLA AirQual website, for details about the local weather and corresponding impacts based on air quality data.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
To report an emergency, call 9-1-1.
