More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in southern California on Tuesday as a wildfirethreatened suburban homes.

The wind-driven #Sandy fire was reported Monday in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48km) north-west of Los Angeles.

By Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than 2 sq miles of dry brush and destroyed at least one home, according to the Ventura county fire department.

The flames were initially pushed by gusts that topped 30 mph (48 km/h), but firefighters were aided by calmer winds overnight, said department spokesperson Andrew Dowd.
“We’ve made a lot of progress against this fire with those improved weather conditions,” Dowd said. Crews hoped to make further progress before winds increased again, he said.

About 750 firefighters had been assigned to the fire by Tuesday, along with helicopters and air tankers, according to the Ventura County Star.
The fire has destroyed at least one home.
The fire was 5% contained by midday on Tuesday. The cause is under investigation.
Evacuation orders and warnings were still in place for several neighborhoods in Simi Valley, a city of more than 125,000 people.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/19/simi-valley-california-wildfire-evacuation?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other