SoCal colleges cancel classes

Students told to stay home from school amid wildfires, poor air quality

Colleges throughout Los Angeles County canceled classes and closed their campuses Thursday as a result of the wildfires raging through Southern California.

As of Thursday morning, campus closures were reported at California State University, Northridge, Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, Los Angeles Valley College in Valley Glen, Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills, University of California, Los Angeles and Santa Monica College.

These closures affected students in the Santa Clarita Valley who commute to campus to take classes throughout the day and evening.

Those colleges that did close their campuses claimed to do so because of the high winds, continued fire danger, smoke from surrounding fires and ongoing traffic conditions.

At CSUN, officials announced the campus closures and class cancellations at 5:30 a.m. due to weather conditions.

“High winds and smoke from the fires in and around the San Fernando Valley have affected air quality on campus and traffic conditions,” CSUN said in a statement. “University officials are closely monitoring the situation and will post updates as necessary.”

The university also recommended that students and staff should not come to campus and should consult with their instructors if they have questions regarding coursework.

Thursday was the third day Los Angeles Mission College closed its three campuses due to the proximity of the Creek Fire to its facilities.

“The campus is safe but nearby neighborhoods have been evacuated,” the college wrote on its Facebook page.

These closures did not affect colleges in the Santa Clarita Valley, which remained Thursday. California Institute of the Arts, College of the Canyons and The Master’s University stated that they are continuing to monitor the wildfire situation, but that their campuses are safe.