The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles led to the closure of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk for safety reasons.

The first of the wildfires started in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades Tuesday, quickly spreading thanks to strong winds and dry conditions.

Universal City, California, where the Universal parks are located is in the western portion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, between Pacific Palisades and Altadena

At least five have died in the fires.

“Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed today as a result of the extreme winds and fire conditions,” Universal Studios Hollywood wrote on social media Wednesday. In an update Thursday, the park account confirmed that both the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and the CityWalk entertainment and shopping district remained closed.

On the other side of the Los Angeles area, the Disneyland Resort remains open. The eponymous theme park, Disney California Adventure and the Downtown Disney District, are located in Anaheim, in Orange County, and are not threatened by any current fire.

Some Disney employees, however, have been affected, with their homes and neighborhoods caught in the roughly 42 square miles that have been consumed by the flames.

The company’s offices in Los Angeles County and Ventura County including its Burbank headquarters were closed to non-essential employees starting Wednesday and will remain closed through Friday, according to Disney parks news site WDW News Today.

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger drove through Pacific Palisades on Wednesday.

He wrote on Instagram that he “witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the fires. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost homes and businesses, and to all whose lives have been impacted, including thousands of Disney employees.”

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.