LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among thousands of LA residents fleeing a fire near the Getty museum. Here are the latest updates.

• LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among thousands of Los Angeles residents evacuating their homes due to a fire near the Getty Center.
• The fire broke out early Monday morning and has spread to over 600 acres. At least 13 structures have burned and another 10,000 are threatened. 
• Santa Ana winds have fueled the fire's westward spread, aided by dry conditions across California. 
• As the climate warms, California's wildfire season is getting longer, and weather conditions that bring a high risk of wildfires are becoming more common.
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A fire that broke out near the Getty Center around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning has spread across more than 600 acres in Los Angeles.

The blaze, called the Getty Fire, has forced thousands to flee their homes, including LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The flames led parts of the 405 freeway to close as they pushed westward, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds.

The brush fire has already destroyed at least eight structures and damaged at least five. The blaze threatens another 10,000 structures. The fire was 0% contained as of Monday morning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, so officials expect to see more damage as the day progresses. 

"Had to emergency evacuate my house and I've been driving around with my family trying to get rooms," James said said on Twitter at 3:53 a.m. local time. "No luck so far!" Eighteen minutes later, however, he said they'd found accommodations.

In a press conference, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned residents to "get out when we say get out," and never to fight flames with garden hoses.

"The only thing you cannot replace is you and your family," he added.

Schwarzenegger echoed the warning, tweeting: "If you are in an evacuation zone, don't screw around. Get out."

Affected residents can find shelter at the Westwood Recreation Center, the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center, the Stoner Recreation Center, the Palisades Recreation Center, and the Cheviot Hills Recreation Center. The West Valley and West LA animal shelters are also open to pets, and the Hansen Dam Rec Area is accepting large animals.

Though flames are visible from the Getty Center, the museum itself is safe for now.

"Many have asked about the art — it is protected by state-of-the-art technology," the museum said in a statement on Twitter. "The safest place for the art and library collections is inside."

Santa Ana winds are spreading fires quickly across California

Powerful Santa Ana winds are helping the Getty Fire spread, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said the gusts are expected to continue until at least 2 p.m. on Monday.

The Santa Anas blow down from neighboring mountains toward the southern California coast during the fall and winter, picking up speed and heat as they travel through narrow passes and down toward sea level. Across California, the winds have coincided with dry conditions to fuel several wildfires, including the rapidly spreading Kincade Fire in Sonoma County.

"It's a dangerous season right now," Terrazas said. "We have not had any significant rainfall for a period of time. So that's why we're very, very concerned about these weather conditions."

Climate change is increasing wildfire risk 

Individual wildfires can't be directly attributed to climate change, but accelerated warming increases their likelihood.

"Climate change, with rising temperatures and shifts in precipitation patterns, is amplifying the risk of wildfires and prolonging the season," the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a July release.

This year fits that trend so far. July was the hottest month ever recorded, and 2019 overall is on pace to be the third-hottest on record globally, according to Climate Central. 

The average wildfire season is 78 days longer there than it was 50 years ago, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. That's because dying trees and vegetation are drying out (and becoming more available to burn) earlier in the year.

Large wildfires in the US now burn more than twice the area they did in 1970. A recent study found that the portion of California that burns from wildfires every year has increased more than five-fold since 1972. 

Nine of the 10 biggest fires in the state's history have occurred since the year 2003.

"No matter how hard we try, the fires are going to keep getting bigger, and the reason is really clear," climatologist Park Williams told Columbia University's Center for Climate and Life. "Climate is really running the show in terms of what burns."

Last year, California Gov. Jerry Brown warned the state has entered "uncharted territory."

"Since civilization emerged 10,000 years ago, we haven't had this kind of heat condition, and it's going to continue getting worse," he said.

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