KTLA

Griffith Observatory Declared Safe After Area Evacuated Due to Report of Suspicious Item: LAPD

Stefan Campana and his mother, Marcia Campana, walk under the gray morning sky at Griffith Observatory on Nov. 27, 2017. (Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

A report of a suspicious item prompted officials to evacuate the Griffith Observatory on Saturday afternoon before the area was determined to be safe, according to police.

A bomb squad responded to the scene after a park ranger requested units shortly before 1 p.m., Los Angeles police told KTLA.

After a full search of the area with the bomb squad and a K-9, there was no evidence of a suspicious package and the area was considered safe just before 4 p.m., said LAPD Lt. Marie Fellhauer in a news conference.

Fellhauer said a package found on the east side of the outside of the building raised a “red flag” and employees contacted authorities.

It was not immediately clear what the package was, Fellhauer said.

Griffith Observatory reopened around 4 p.m.

The observatory initially  reopened on Saturday after a brush fire ignited nearby on Tuesday and scorched around 25 acres.

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