You’re driving up Western Avenue or trekking through the Greek Theatre parking lot, and you look up. There it is. The white concrete walls, the copper domes turning that specific shade of oxidized green, and the best view of the Hollywood Sign in the city. It looks permanent. It looks invincible. But if you’ve lived in Los Angeles for more than a week, you know that the hills are basically a tinderbox waiting for a spark. People constantly ask, did the Griffith Observatory burn, usually after seeing terrifying footage of orange flames licking the ridgelines of Griffith Park on the evening news.
The short answer? No. Not really. But it’s been terrifyingly close more times than the city’s nerves can handle.
The Griffith Observatory hasn't been reduced to ash, but it has survived several "near-miss" scenarios that would make any preservationist lose sleep. We’re talking about fires that got so close the firefighters were literally standing on the roof with hoses. It’s a miracle of modern engineering, some very brave LAFD crews, and frankly, a bit of luck.
The 2007 Griffith Park Fire: The Big One
If you remember May 2007, you remember the smoke. It was thick. It smelled like toasted chaparral and disaster. A massive fire broke out on May 8, scorched over 800 acres, and forced the evacuation of the entire park. This is the moment most people are thinking of when they wonder if the building burned down.
At one point, the flames were less than a few hundred feet from the building.
The fire started near the Dante’s View area. Because of the steep terrain, it moved fast. It chewed through the bird sanctuary and headed straight for the Greek Theatre and the Observatory. The images from that night are haunting—bright neon orange silhouettes of the domes against a pitch-black sky filled with embers. Honestly, it looked like the end for the landmark.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) deployed hundreds of firefighters. They used the Observatory’s parking lot as a command post. Because the building had recently undergone a $93 million renovation (completed in 2006), it had upgraded fire suppression systems, but you can’t exactly "sprinkler" a wildfire away. It took hand crews cutting lines in the dirt and constant water drops from helicopters to save the structure.
When the sun came up, the Observatory was still standing. The hillsides around it, however, were black. The lush greenery that makes the hike up from Fern Dell so iconic was replaced by charred sticks and ash. It stayed that way for a long time.
Why the building is actually kinda "fireproof"
You’ve got to give credit to the original architects and the 2002-2006 expansion team. The Griffith Observatory is basically a fortress. It's built primarily of reinforced concrete. Unlike the wooden homes in the Hollywood Hills that go up like matchsticks, the Observatory’s exterior doesn't catch fire easily.
The real danger isn't the walls melting; it’s the heat and the smoke.
Wildfires produce intense radiant heat. If the fire gets close enough, that heat can shatter the historic glass windows or damage the delicate instruments inside, like the Zeiss planetarium projector or the solar telescopes. During the 2007 fire, the main concern was the HVAC system sucking in thick smoke and ash, which would have ruined the exhibits and the interior finishes.
Since then, the park has been even more aggressive about "defensible space."
- Brush clearance: Every year, crews clear the dry grass and shrubs for a significant radius around the building.
- Infrastructure: The 2006 renovation added a massive underground expansion. Being buried in the hillside naturally protects a huge portion of the facility from surface fires.
- Access: The paved roads around the Observatory act as natural firebreaks, though embers can easily jump them in high winds.
The 2018 Brush Fire Scare
It happened again in July 2018. A fire broke out near the trails and quickly consumed 25 acres. This one was smaller than 2007 but felt more personal because it was so visible from the city floor.
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The park was packed with tourists.
Suddenly, the sky turned gray. Helicopters started buzzing overhead, dipping their buckets into nearby reservoirs. Over 2,000 people had to be evacuated from the Observatory and the surrounding trails. You saw videos on Twitter of people calmly walking down the road while a wall of smoke rose behind the building.
The LAFD moved with surgical precision. They hit the flanks of the fire before it could crest the hill toward the building. By the time the "all clear" was given, the Observatory was fine, but the event served as a stark reminder: the question isn't if another fire will threaten the site, but when.
Other Notable Close Calls
Griffith Park has a long, tragic history with fire. In 1933, a fire in the park killed 29 workers who were clearing brush as part of a Depression-era work project. While that fire didn't threaten the building (which was still under construction at the time), it set the tone for how dangerous this landscape is.
More recently, in 2022 and 2023, small "spot fires" have popped up near the trails. Most of these are caught within an hour. The response time for a fire at Griffith Observatory is now one of the fastest in the city because the LAFD knows exactly what is at stake—not just a building, but a piece of global culture.
What happens if you visit after a fire?
If you head up there today, you’ll see the vegetation has bounced back. Nature is weirdly good at that. The scorched earth from 2007 is now covered in hardy native plants. However, the park rangers are incredibly strict now.
Smoking? Absolutely not.
Illegal fireworks? You’ll get hit with a massive fine or arrested.
Off-trail hiking? Discouraged, because it tramples the very plants that help hold the soil together and prevent erosion after a fire.
The "burn" people talk about is usually the landscape, not the architecture. You might see some "scuff marks" on the lower trails or sections of the park that look a bit sparser than others, but the white-walled icon remains intact.
How to stay safe while visiting
If you're planning a trip, check the weather. Red Flag Warnings are real. When the Santa Ana winds blow, the park sometimes closes certain trails or restricts parking to ensure emergency vehicles can get through.
- Check the LAFD alert blog or their Twitter/X feed if you see smoke.
- If the rangers tell you to leave, leave immediately. Don't stop for "one last photo" of the smoke.
- Stick to the paved paths during high-heat days.
The Observatory is a survivor. It’s lived through the Great Depression, World War II, countless earthquakes, and the literal firing of its surroundings. It hasn't burned down, and thanks to some pretty intense city planning, it likely won't anytime soon.
Next Steps for Your Visit:
Before you drive up, check the official Griffith Observatory website for "Red Flag" status updates. If it’s a high-wind day, consider taking the DASH bus from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station instead of driving; if an evacuation happens, the bus has priority, and you won't get stuck in a terrifying gridlock on those narrow canyon roads. Also, take a moment to look at the "Dante’s View" area from the terrace—you can still see the subtle difference in the age of the trees where the 2007 fire hit its peak.