California tourism industry “open for business” as Getty and Kincade fires near full containment

Family looking at beautiful summer mountains landscape, on hiking trip. Golden Gate Bridge, over Pacific Ocean, mountains in the background. San Francisco, California, USA
By Christian Fleetwood


Visit California is reassuring the travel trade the US state is open for business, following recent wildfires near Los Angeles and in parts of Sonoma County.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said earlier this week that the Getty fire, which covered some 745 acres of west Los Angeles, has been largely contained. While the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection said 84 per cent of the 77,758-acre Kincade fire in Sonoma County has been contained.

Visit California said the state’s tourism industry remains “largely unscathed” from both fires that broke out over the past two weeks, and “a vast majority of the state” is currently unaffected by them.

The affected regions of Sonoma County and West Los Angeles are returning to business as usual and reassuring visitors and meeting planners that the regions are open and ready to welcome visitors.

While airports, roads, hotels, wineries and other attractions are open for business.

Visit California president and CEO Caroline Beteta issued the following statement on the situation:

“California’s travel industry extends its deepest appreciation for the state’s fire service and first responders, whose heroic efforts have saved countless lives and businesses across the state. The quick progress firefighters have made is immensely encouraging – both for the thousands of travellers with plans to visit and the communities that rely on visitors to fuel their economies.

“Both Sonoma County and Los Angeles are quintessential California experiences for residents and visitors alike, and now is the time to visit. California is safe to visit, and travellers can access information about all Golden State destinations at VisitCalifornia.com.”

Conditions in California’s wildfire-affected communities continue to change rapidly. Visit California is connecting travellers with the latest fire information through VisitCalifornia.com travel alerts and WestCoastTravelFacts.org.

WestCoastTravelFacts.org provides real-time air-quality readings, live cams and multi-state itineraries for travellers at key destinations, to inform those who may decide to reroute road trips, or seek more planning ideas for trips to the West Coast.

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