Fire crews continued battling the Sandy Fire in Southern California’s Simi Valley on Tuesday as the wildfire expanded to nearly 1,700 acres with containment reaching 5%, News.Az reports, citing CBS News.
The brush fire erupted shortly after 10 a.m. Monday near Sandy Avenue and rapidly spread through the area. By Tuesday morning, the blaze had burned 1,386 acres before growing further to 1,698 acres later in the afternoon.
Andrew Dowd, Public Information Officer for the Ventura County Fire Department, described the incident as a “fast-moving, wind-driven fire.”
According to Cal Fire, containment stood at 5% Tuesday morning. Aerial footage captured before noon showed active flames moving through a remote area between Simi Valley and Bell Canyon.
Dowd said firefighters made substantial progress overnight due to cooler temperatures and favorable weather conditions. Crews focused on protecting structures and reinforcing containment lines along the fire perimeter.
RAGING WILDFIRE 🔥: The Sandy Fire in Ventura County, California has grown to more than 1,300 acres since starting on Monday. More than 10,000 homes are under evacuation orders, with another 3,500 under evacuation warnings in the Simi Valley area. Stay with FOX Weather for the… pic.twitter.com/MRFDkkttmX
He added that emergency personnel were preparing for stronger winds forecast later Tuesday morning. Firefighters were strategically deployed around the burn area to respond quickly to flare-ups and lingering hot spots.
One of the primary objectives for crews on Tuesday was strengthening existing control features to slow the fire’s spread.
More than 869 personnel have been assigned to the wildfire since it ignited Monday morning.
The Simi Valley Police Department said officers received a report around 10:17 a.m. Monday that an individual had “hit a rock with a tractor” near the 2600 block of Rudolph Drive, sparking the fire.
Sgt. Rick Morton said that when people clear large properties, machinery can sometimes strike objects hidden from view, potentially igniting dry vegetation and starting fires.
Dowd said they are continuing to receive additional ground and air resources from other agencies across Southern California.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that city officials were "closely monitoring" the fire and that the Los Angeles Fire Department had deployed some resources to support Ventura County crews.
Dowd said the fire destroyed one home. CBS LA spoke to neighbors near where the home was destroyed on Trickling Brook Court. They said the family who lived there had been there for decades.
Kady Doody said they have a tight-knit community and look out for each other.
Aerial footage of the fire on Monday showed neighbors springing into action to help one another by loading animals into crates. Many used hoses to water down dry vegetation.
Residents thanked firefighters for their quick response.
"The first responders, they were here, they did the magic that they do," said Don Sullivan. "They've been doing a great job. I've been watching the drops; they are right on target."
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