Brush fire scare near L.A.'s Getty Center

updated 12:13 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Fire crews have extinguished a wildfire that erupted Thursday morning near the Getty Center museum in West Los Angeles.

No buildings burned and there were no injuries.

The 100-acre fire was spotted shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday a couple of miles from the museum, which houses priceless art. Fire spokesman Ron Myers said about 400 firefighters aided by water-dropping helicopters put out the flames in about seven hours.

A knockdown was declared at 8:16 a.m. but fire crews were expected to work through the day mopping up hot spots.

The nearby San Diego Freeway was shut down for about four hours but reopened for the morning rush hour.

Earlier, authorities told residents in the Brentwood area they might have need to evacuate, and centers were set up at the American Jewish University and the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Westwood for any sick or elderly people who needed to evacuate.

Some residents loaded computers and collectibles into cars and headed out of the exclusive canyon section of Brentwood.

"This is really surreal," Mort Overlander told KTLA-TV as he fled his home. "It's like out of a movie or something. Especially coming down the hill, it's just unbelievable."

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