By mid-afternoon, the fire had burned through more than 500 acres of dry brush and damaged at least one home, officials said.
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate Monday as a wind-driven wildfire threatened homes in a Southern California suburb.
The Sandy Fire was reported around 10 a.m. in the mountains above Simi Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
By mid-afternoon, it had consumed more than 500 acres of dry brush and damaged at least one home, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
Fire department spokesman Scott Dettorre said wind gusts of more than 30 mph in the morning fueled the fire, but it tapered off later in the day.
“When the sun goes down, the winds are calmer,” DeTore said.
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for several communities in Simi Valley, and the city of more than 125,000 people was shrouded in smoke and helicopters conducted water-dropping operations. Dettore didn’t know exactly how many people were ordered to leave.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, nestled on a hillside a few miles away, said it was closed for the day because of the fire.
The cause is under investigation.
Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a 15-square-mile blaze on Santa Rosa Island, the second-largest island in the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. The fire destroyed a cabin and an equipment shed and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees.
Santa Rosa is a popular destination for camping and hiking and is home to the island fox, spotted skunk, and elephant seal.
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