The museum, part of the J. Paul Getty Trust, is home to the organization's collection of Ancient Greek and Roman art. Other cultural centers in the area were also threatened by the fire, which had burned more than 2,900 acres as of Wednesday morning and was moving quickly.

The Getty Villa remained standing as fires razed homes around it. Getty staff have been doing simple yard work all year that homeowners should follow.

The Getty Villa, which is already closed to the public on Tuesdays, was “swiftly closed” to non-emergency staff after the fire started in the morning.