Santa Rosa Island, Sandy fires consume thousands of acres. See maps
Mary Walrath-HoldridgeTwo California fires, dubbed the Sandy Fire and Santa Rosa Island Fire, continued to consume acres of land on Monday, May 18, as dry conditions and winds enabled fast-moving flames to spread.
The Sandy Fire began in the 600 block of Sandy Drive on Monday morning and quickly spread from less than 200 to over 700 acres by the afternoon. Windy conditions caused the fire to spread, subsequently threatening homes and prompting evacuations.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire, on the other hand, led to the island's closure by the National Park Service. The “human-caused” blaze began on May 15 and has since destroyed at least two historic structures, USA TODAY previously reported.
Just before 2 p.m. ET on Monday, May 18, the Santa Rosa Island Fire had engulfed 10,029 acres in Santa Barbara County and was 0% contained, according to Inciweb, an integrated emergency response website maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Sandy Fire, considered "dangerously fast" moving, had expanded to 720 acres in Ventura County around 1:45 p.m. ET, according to CalFire. Evacuation orders were issued for four regions, including Simi Valley 32, 33, 34 and 35, and more than 200 firefighters were assigned to the blaze.
Below are maps of where the fires are blazing.