LIVE: Sandy Fire in Simi Valley grows to 836 acres, home destroyed

• Ventura County Fire Department confirms a home was destroyed in the blaze.
• An estimated 500 firefighters were assigned to the Sandy Fire.

A fire spreading "dangerously fast" in the Simi Valley area quickly threatened neighborhoods and had reached 836 acres by midafternoon on May 18.

Authorities issued evacuation orders shortly after crews responded to the blaze initially reported near the 600 block of Sandy Drive around 10:15 a.m. The first personnel on scene described the blaze, dubbed the Sandy Fire, as at least an acre, with flames pushed by gusty winds.

Within an hour, the blaze burning on the southern edge of Simi Valley had grown to 180 acres, officials said. An update on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection incident page described the fire as "spreading dangerously fast" by late morning.

By midafternoon, Sandy had burned 836 acres, and an estimated 500 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. Multiple helicopters and air tankers dropped water and retardant on the flames, as crews on the ground worked to protect homes and cut a line around its perimeter.

Check back for updates on the fire, evacuation orders, winds and closures.

4 p.m.: Ron Wechsler, 82, described his Simi Valley neighborhood – one threatened by the Sandy Fire – as tight-knit. He and some of his neighbors tried to fight the flames with water from a pool but couldn’t get the cover off in time, he said.

“Unfortunately, it was moving so fast,” he said. “Everything turned black and I thought I wasn’t going to make it out of there.”

He got out of the area safely and ended up putting out spot fires elsewhere, he said.

"The wind was howling,” Wechsler said. “I can’t remember it blowing that hard.”

3:30 p.m.: The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that one home was destroyed in the Sandy Fire. The department was continuing to assess for any other structures that may have been damaged or destroyed, said county fire spokesperson Andrew Dowd.

By midafternoon, crews continued to make progress on the blaze, he said. Along with local fire departments, personnel from the city and county of Los Angeles, Cal Fire and others responded quickly to requests for assistance.

No injuries had been reported, and there was no containment as of 3 p.m., Dowd said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

2 p.m.: An estimated 37,000 residents were either under an evacuation order or warning. The orders initially issued Monday morning, remained in effect for areas along a southern stretch of Simi Valley.

Evacuation warnings also are in place for an adjacent location in Simi and nearby spots in the Thousand Oaks area. Authorities added an additional zone to the warnings, an area east of Edison Road and south of the Arroyo Simi. A map of the locations and more information is available at vcemergency.com.

In all, around 37,000 residents were either under an evacuation order or warning, officials said.

1 p.m.: Nighla Reed, 88, was packing up a vehicle outside of her home on Erringer Road, across from Hollow Hills school, and talking to her neighbor Mark Fitzpatrick, 55, who lives a street away. White smoke from the fire and helicopters could be seen and heard in the background.

“It’s a lot whiter than it was when I got home from work,” Reed said of the smoke.

They said they both work at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Fitzpatrick called Reed to let her know about the fire. They said they were taking a wait and see approach with their pets, families and belongings but were ready to go if needed.

“It’s calmed down a lot since 11 a.m. or so,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick said he wanted his neighbor to focus on valuables and “just be ready to bolt.” The problem is the potential congestion in leaving the area, he said.

12:30 p.m.: Leaders of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley closed the facility at noon.

“We are not in an evacuation zone but we chose to close out of an abundance of caution,” spokesperson Melissa Giller said, noting a handful of employees were still at the library. “We’re not in the fire path right now so we feel safe.”

Evacuation orders, warnings for Sandy Fire

Authorities issued evacuation orders for Zone 32-35, an area roughly south of Royal Avenue, east of Madera Road, west of Edison Road and north of the Albertson Fire Road in south Simi Valley.

Evacuation warnings also were issued in an adjacent Simi Valley location and a northern stretch of the Thousand Oaks area. Warnings mean people should be prepared to leave but the threat was not yet imminent.

The warnings were issued for Zone 31 in the Simi Valley area, roughly south of Madera Road, west of the Lake Park Drive and east of the Bard Reservoir, and Zones 6 and 7 in the nearby Thousand Oaks area.

For a map of evacuation orders and warnings, go to vcemergency.com. Officials set up a hotline for questions related to evacuations and shelters at 805-465-6650.

Simi Valley Police Sgt. Rick Morton said Rambling Road was closed between Trickling Brook Court and Casual Court. Sandy Avenue also was closed at the intersection with Watson Avenue.

Evacuation point, animal shelter for Sandy Fire

Authorities set up a temporary evacuation point at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley.

Large animals can be taken to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 E. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura.

Small animals can be taken to either the Simi Valley Animal Shelter, 670 W. Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley; or the Camarillo Animal Shelter, 600 Aviation Dr. in Camarillo.

After the fire broke out, officials quickly called for a second alarm response and then continued to request more equipment and personnel to respond on the ground and by air.

Equipment and personnel included engines, hand crews, dozers and multiple aircraft. Some of the personnel were needed to protect structures in the area, according to radio reports.

Evacuations at Simi Valley schools

Simi Valley Unified School District's Crestview Elementary School had been evacuated “in the last hour,” district spokesperson Jake Finch said at 12:40 p.m. Shortly after, the district's Mountain View Elementary School also was evacuated, she said.

Students from both campuses were taken to Simi Valley High School.

Later, Hillside Middle School and Royal High School canceled their seventh-period classes and afternoon activities and athletics. The campuses were not evacuated, and students who could not be picked up early could stay safely on campus, district officials said, in a social media post.

Here's the Sandy Fire forecast

National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Kittell said temperatures are around 75 degrees in the fire area. Wind is moving northeast at 10-20 mph around noon. Gusts are between 25 to 35 mph. Humidity is between 15 to 20%.

Winds are expected to weaken between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., Kittell said.

The wind is expected to shift and come from the southwest between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. That’s good news because it could help slow the fire’s progression, according to the weather service. But the transition could also push winds in unpredictable directions for a short period of time when the shift happens.

“Winds can be erratic and challenging for firefighters,” Kittell said.

This story will be updated.

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