UCLA's 46,000-student campus, which borders the Palisades Fire Evacuation Zone, was nearly deserted due to poor air quality and the university's decision this week to move classes online.

UCLA officials said Monday there was no immediate danger to the Westwood campus. But in recent days, as the fires spread to Brentwood, the university issued notices asking students to be on high alert, advising them to "remain alert and prepare to evacuate" if conditions changed.

Chancellor Julio Frenk, who took office this month, has been sharing video statements on Instagram and X encouraging the UCLA community to remain resilient.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make plans for any eventuality," Frenk posted on Instagram on Sunday. "As of now, there are no evacuation orders or warnings on our campus. But I know There's still a lot of uncertainty and fear about the future for a lot of us. There's a lot of concern about the air quality."

UCLA has a plan in place to bus students off campus if the fire department issues a mandatory evacuation order — about 15,000 students typically live in campus residence halls and another 7,000 in university apartments.

This week, it seems many students have made their own decisions.

The usually bustling Dickson Court next to Royce Hall was deserted on Sunday, save for a few tourists and nearby residents walking their dogs. Most canteens are closed. “The Hill”, the dormitory-focused northwest area of ​​campus, was largely silent during the second week of winter semester, except for the sound of students scrambling to leave.

In the dormitory area on De Neve Drive, students stood on the street with packed bags and bright yellow mobile carts, waiting for parents, Lyfts and Ubers to take them to the airport in Northern California, a friend's house or out of state. The scene feels like move-in or move-out day rather than the start of winter quarter.

“Almost everyone is gone,” Titi Olotu said. She parked her car, grabbed her belongings, and headed back home to Sacramento, where classes were being held remotely through at least Friday.

On Thursday, Olotu initially left Olympic Hall dormitory in a smoky campus environment to stay with an aunt in nearby East Los Angeles. On Sunday, she returned to campus to pick up her passport and other personal documents.

“I’m probably one of the last people to leave officially,” said Olotu, a sophomore biology major. She went viral on TikTok after she posted a video criticizing UCLA for staying open for on-campus instruction on Wednesday, a day after the Palisades Fire (which burned nearly 24,000 acres on Sunday and was 11% contained control) the day after the outbreak.

“I wish things were better overall,” Olotu said.

UCLA administrators will hold a virtual town hall meeting this week to answer questions about fire prevention measures and plans. In a Zoom webinar for faculty and staff on Monday, university leaders said about 900 students remain in campus residence halls.

Roger Wakimoto, vice chancellor for research and creative activities, told Monday's meeting that the fire evacuation and warning zone "has literally touched the northwest end of campus." "Be prepared."

Wakimoto, also an atmospheric scientist, said the Santa Ana wind forecast is worrisome for the Los Angeles community, but not necessarily for UCLA.

"They're now blowing east to west again and continuing into Wednesday, and the winds are pretty strong. That's not conducive to fire management." But it does turn out to be good for the campus, "because they're going to be away from the university," he said.

"After Wednesday, when the winds weaken again, we will watch very carefully," Wakimoto said.

The few students remaining on campus this week tend to be residential assistants (who work in dormitories in exchange for free room, board and other benefits) and international students whose families are thousands of miles away.

In Saxon Suites Hall, Tommy Contreras decided to stay put because of his responsibilities as a Resident Assistant and Undergraduate Student Association representative.

“It’s a ghost town,” Contreras said. He estimated that about 10 of the 120 students he and a colleague were supervising in the dormitory on Sunday were left behind.

“At least thousands of people left,” said Contreras, a third-year political science and public affairs major. He has been working with student government representatives to raise relief donations for the charity Dream Center Foundation. "I was on campus and I only saw one other person yesterday."

Contreras said he could see the Palisades fire from his dormitory late last week. He said he was relieved now that there were no more flames in his sight.

“We are pleased that UCLA is working with us. For example, there are masks at the front desk of the dormitories, and the school has been responsive to our need to attend classes remotely,” he said. "Still, it's tough. Some people have asthma and need air purifiers. We've had days where the floors turned black and ash fell from the sky. But we are a UCLA community working together to solve this question."

Evan Li and Matthew Li were roommates, not related, living in an apartment on the south side of campus and decided to stay. On Sunday afternoon, they played a horse game on a basketball court off De Neve Drive while nearby students evacuated.

“I don’t think the fire is a threat to us,” said Evan Li, a senior studying computer science and applied mathematics. "If I wanted to go there now, home is far away." His family is in Toronto.

Matthew Li, a senior majoring in neuroscience, said his mother in Sacramento called him to discuss the possibility of returning home. But he said last-minute flights were too expensive and he didn't think the danger was imminent.

"I think we'll be back to normal soon," Matthew Lee said.

UCLA said in the event of a mandatory evacuation, the meeting points will be Pauley Hall and Te Puana Apartments, and the university will provide transportation to alternative housing. Communications will include announcements via Bruin Alert.

UCLA has not yet revealed where students will land after they are evacuated.

In a statement to The Times, university administration said the "safety and well-being of all Bruins remains our top priority" and that its Office of Emergency Management has "identified several suitable locations for potential evacuees." locations” and will “identify specific locations” based on student and operational needs. "

"We have surveyed all students in university-owned housing and the Westwood area and are prepared to transport and house any students who express a need for temporary housing," the statement said.

“In the event of an evacuation, international students and any students or employees in need of accommodation will receive shelter, food, supplies and wireless Internet at an off-campus location at no charge,” a FAQ on the university’s website states.