Basketball star LeBron James is among evacuees as a fire that erupted early Monday in Southern California grows to more than 70 acres.
The Los Angeles Lakers player tweeted just before 4 a.m. that he was trying to find rooms for his family after having to “emergency evacuate” his house, calling the fires “no joke.” He later tweeted that he found accommodation, said he was praying for those affected and advised people to get to safety.
I [praying hands emoji] for all the families in the area that could be affected by these [fire emojis] now!” James tweeted. “Pretty please get to safety ASAP.
“My best wishes as well to the first responders right now doing what they do best!”
Man these LA 🔥 aren’t no joke. Had to emergency evacuate my house and I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms. No luck so far! 🤦🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019
Finally found a place to accommodate us! Crazy night man!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019
I 🙏🏾 for all the families in the area that could be affected by these 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 now! Pretty please get to safety ASAP
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019
My best wishes as well to the first responders⛑ right now doing what they do best! 🙏🏾💪🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019
The Lakers played on Sunday night, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 120-101 at Staples Center. James finished with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting as well as six rebounds and 12 assists in 35 minutes.
As of 4:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department said the fire was moving in a westward direction. The Mandeville Canyon and Mountain Gate communities remains under a mandatory evacuation order that verges into Brentwood, and the evacuation warning area has been expanded westward to include parts of Topanga State Park and the Pacific Palisades.
Evacuation centers are open in Westwood and Sherman Oaks.
Earlier on Monday morning, The Los Angeles Fire Department is ordering mandatory evacuations after a fire erupted on a hillside near the Getty Center museum.
The department posted an alert Monday advising everyone to leave the Mountain Gate and Mandeville Canyon communities between Mandeville Canyon Road and Interstate 405 north of Sunset Blvd.
Although the Getty Center is nearby, officials say the facility was built with thick walls and doors to compartmentalize any flames.
Mount Saint Mary’s University tweeted that its Chalon campus near the Getty has been evacuated under orders from the LAFD. Students were taken to its Doheny campus.
The blaze comes as the Tick Fire near Santa Clarita was 70% contained as of Sunday night. Up north, crews are grappling with a wildfire in Sonoma County that officials say covers 85 square miles (220 square kilometers).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
