Campus Alert Archive
Fuller

The Eaton Fire Closes Fuller Theological Seminary's Pasadena Campus for Two Weeks as Some Students and Faculty Evacuate Their Homes

CAnatural disasteradvisorymedium confidence

On January 8, 2025, Fuller Theological Seminary closed its Pasadena campus through at least January 10 due to the Eaton Fire and accompanying hazardous windstorms sweeping Southern California. The closure extended through January 17 as virtual classes were implemented, and in-person operations did not fully resume until January 21. Some students and faculty had evacuated their homes, and the campus itself sustained debris and fallen tree branches requiring cleanup before safe reentry.

Alerts
3
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Fuller Theological Seminary
Private Masters · CA
Fuller Emergency Notification
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction425 chars
Due to the ongoing fires and hazardous windstorms in Southern California, classes are cancelled for today. All offices and buildings at the Pasadena campus, including the library, are closed and campus operations are minimal. Some students and employees have evacuated their homes. Due to hazardous conditions on campus such as fallen tree branches and debris, please avoid coming to the Pasadena campus until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Fuller Seminary posted on social media on January 8-9 that classes were cancelled and campus buildings were closed due to fires and windstorms; exact alert text not published by news outlets.
The Eaton Fire ignited January 7, 2025 in the Altadena/Pasadena area and was one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history, killing at least 17 people and destroying thousands of structures.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction278 chars
Our Pasadena Campus is Closed Through Friday, January 10, 2025. All campus buildings remain closed. Pasadena-based classes will move to virtual modalities for the week of January 13-17. Student housing remains operational. The library, clinic, and in-person services are closed.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Fuller had previously announced a brief closure through January 10; this message extended operations to virtual-only for the following week, a 13-day disruption in total.
The decision to run fully virtual for January 13-17 reflected ongoing air quality concerns and the need to clean campus, including deep cleaning classrooms, offices, and residential areas and changing air filters.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction297 chars
Fuller Theological Seminary has resumed in-person operations at its Pasadena campus. Campus teams completed debris clearing, deep cleaning, and air quality monitoring. All facilities including the library and clinic are now open. Thank you for your patience and prayers during this difficult time.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The reopening on January 21 came nearly two weeks after the initial January 8 closure; Pasadena Unified School District schools remained closed longer than Fuller.
Fuller's teams took measures to ensure cleanliness and safety before students returned, including clearing debris, deep cleaning classrooms and residential areas, changing air filters, and ongoing monitoring of air quality.
Context

Background

Fuller Theological Seminary, founded in 1947 in Pasadena, California, is one of the largest multidenominational seminaries in the world and a prominent evangelical institution with campuses in Pasadena, Houston, and Phoenix. Its main campus at 135 N Oakland Ave sits in the Pasadena foothills directly in the path of the Eaton Fire, which ignited on January 7, 2025 and became one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history, killing at least 17 people and burning approximately 14,000 acres. Fuller closed its Pasadena campus on January 8 due to hazardous wind-driven fire spread and campus debris. The closure continued through January 17 with virtual classes, and in-person operations resumed January 21. The seminary acknowledged that some students and employees had evacuated their homes and offered pastoral and practical support resources. Pasadena Now reported that Pasadena City College, Caltech, and Fuller all reopened on the same Monday (January 21) while Pasadena Unified School District schools remained closed.
Outcome
No injuries to campus community reported. Campus reopened for in-person operations on January 21, 2025. Student housing remained open throughout; library and other services were closed until reopening.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Our Pasadena Campus is Closed Through Friday, January 10, 2025 - Fuller Seminary
    fuller.edu
  2. Official
    All Classes and Chapel are Cancelled for Wednesday, January 8 - Fuller Seminary
    fuller.edu
  3. News
    Fuller Seminary Resumes Classes After Wildfire Disruption - Pasadena Now
    pasadenanow.com
  4. reference
    Eaton Fire - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
natural-disasterwildfirecalifornialos-angelespasadenacampus-closureeaton-fireseminaryevangelical2025-la-wildfires
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion