Simi Valley Sandy Fire 2,100 acres

Ventura County fire officials said on Wednesday, May 20, that the Sandy Fire in Simi Valley had grown past 2,100 acres, destroyed at least one home and kept thousands of residents under evacuation orders. The fire started Monday morning off Sandy Avenue in Simi Valley, according to CAL FIRE. By late Wednesday, CAL FIRE listed the blaze at 2,115 acres and 22% containment, while local outlets reported crews were still holding lines near neighborhoods and monitoring shifting conditions. ### How large was the fire by Wednesday night? CAL FIRE said the Sandy Fire was 2,115 acres and 22% contained as of its Wednesday evening update. ABC7 reported the fire had scorched more than 2,100 acres and destroyed at least one home, while KCLU said the perimeter remained within Ventura County as of Wednesday night. A May 20 CAL FIRE incident update earlier in the day had put the fire at 1,698 acres and 15% containment, showing how much ground the blaze gained before containment improved. (fire.ca.gov) That update also listed one structure destroyed and said the cause was under investigation. ### Where did the fire start, and what did officials say about the cause? (fire.ca.gov) CAL FIRE said the fire began at 10:50 a.m. on May 18 off Sandy Avenue in Simi Valley. The agency identified Ventura County Fire Department as the agency with jurisdiction and said no incident management team had been assigned as of Wednesday evening. The cause remained under investigation on CAL FIRE’s incident page. (fire.ca.gov) ABC7 reported the fire was active in the hills above Simi Valley, and Ventura County emergency officials continued to post evacuation maps and incident information online as conditions changed. ### How many people were affected by evacuations? ABC7 reported that more than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders as of late Wednesday. (fire.ca.gov) Fox Los Angeles separately reported that an estimated 17,000 Simi Valley residents remained under evacuation orders, while other residents were under warnings. Ventura County Emergency said residents should monitor the county incident map for evacuation information, road closures, shelter information and fire updates. (fire.ca.gov) The county said its Sandy Fire incident information hotline was open at 805-465-6650. ### What were crews doing on the ground? ABC7 reported that fire crews were working containment lines near Simi Valley neighborhoods and that authorities had issued road closures as part of the response. (abc7.com) USA Today said hundreds of firefighters were continuing to battle the fire on Wednesday. KCLU reported Wednesday night that a cooling trend was expected to begin Thursday and that there were no wind watches or warnings, conditions that would provide added relief for firefighters. (emergency.venturacounty.gov) KCLU also said some evacuation orders had been lifted or downgraded by Wednesday evening. ### Where can residents check for changes next? Ventura County officials said residents should use the county emergency site for the latest incident map, evacuation zones, closures and shelter details. (abc7.com) CAL FIRE’s incident page also links to Ventura County emergency information and updates its status reports as acreage and containment change. CAL FIRE’s last update on Wednesday was posted at 7:14 p.m., and ABC7’s live coverage was updated at 11:38 p.m. (kclu.org) PDT. Residents were being directed to those official channels and the Ventura County hotline for the next round of evacuation and road information. (fire.ca.gov) (emergency.venturacounty.gov)