On Monday (18th), at around 10:50 a.m., the Sandy Fire broke out near West Valley Road in the city of Thousand Oaks, located 41 miles northwest of Los Angeles. As of 3 p.m., the fire had spread to over 720 acres. Residents near the fire were ordered to evacuate, and there have been no reports of casualties so far.
The fire originated in the 600 block of Sandy Road. The fire spread rapidly, with thick smoke billowing into the sky, fueled by the wind as it spread across the dry slopes. Over 200 firefighters from Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were involved in extinguishing the fire. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the area affected by the fire rapidly increased from just over 200 acres at noon to 836 acres by 4 p.m. The western, northern, and northeastern sides of the fire are close to residential areas.
According to KTLA, efforts by the firefighters have redirected the fire from the residential areas of West Valley to uninhabited brush. Several structures have been destroyed by the blaze, with containment currently at 0%. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Communities near the north, west, and south sides of the fire-affected area have received evacuation orders. Communities about 5 miles east and south of Bard Lake have also been put on evacuation alert. Personnel from two schools near the fire zone have been evacuated to West Valley High School. The Simi Valley Unified School District released a statement confirming the safety of all students.
The designated temporary evacuation center is the Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, with West Valley High School (5400 Cochran Street, Simi Valley) serving as the evacuation shelter. Animal shelters are available at two locations: small animals can be taken to the Simi Valley Animal Shelter (670 W Los Angeles Avenue), while a shelter for large animals is established at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 E Harbor Blvd) in Ventura County.
According to local weather forecasts, high wind warnings have been issued for the Santa Susana Mountains near West Valley and other areas of Ventura County. As of 1 p.m., winds in West Valley were blowing at 20 miles per hour, but it is expected that wind speeds will decrease in the afternoon. The most significant threat from the fire is posed by the Santa Ana winds.
Meteorologist Devin Black from the Oxnard National Weather Service told the Los Angeles Times that gusts in the valley area are reaching speeds of about 25-35 miles per hour, while wind speeds at the ridge tops are as high as 40 miles per hour. These dry Santa Ana winds are expected to continue until around 4 p.m. before shifting to onshore winds.
The Santa Ana winds are known as “devil winds,” descending from the mountains with extreme dryness, strong winds, and the potential to ignite wildfires easily. Last January, the uncontrollable Los Angeles fires caused a major disaster, largely attributed to the influence of the Santa Ana winds.
The renowned Reagan Library in West Valley is located less than 6 miles from the fire site, on the outskirts of the fire warning zone to the north.
A resident near the fire site told KTLA that prior to the fire, they saw a tractor clearing brush in the area amidst strong winds.