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Brush Fire in Simi Valley Prompts Evacuations of More Than 23,000 Residents

A fast-moving brush fire called the Sandy Fire broke out in Simi Valley, California, on Monday and forced officials to order more than 23,000 residents to evacuate. The blaze grew to more than 700 acres by afternoon and threatened homes and buildings.

The New York Times
Just the News
2 sources·May 18, 11:50 PM(10 days ago)·1m read
Brush Fire in Simi Valley Prompts Evacuations of More Than 23,000 Residentsnypost.com
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A brush fire that officials named the Sandy Fire broke out Monday in the Sandy Drive area of Simi Valley, California, and quickly spread into nearby neighborhoods. Officials ordered more than 23,000 residents to evacuate after the fire reached at least one home and threatened other buildings in Ventura County.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the fire was spreading dangerously fast. By noon local time the blaze had reached nearly 200 acres, and by Monday afternoon it had expanded to at least 720 acres. More than 500 firefighters were assigned to the incident. Schools in the area canceled outdoor activities because of heavy smoke.

No injuries have been reported so far.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Key Facts

More than 23,000
residents ordered to evacuate from Simi Valley
720 acres
burned by Monday afternoon
500 firefighters
assigned to contain the Sandy Fire

Story Timeline

3 events
  1. Monday morning

    Sandy Fire reported in Sandy Drive area of Simi Valley.

    2 sourcesThe New York Times · Just the News
  2. Monday by noon

    Fire grew to nearly 200 acres with no injuries reported.

    2 sourcesThe New York Times · Just the News
  3. Monday afternoon

    Blaze expanded to at least 720 acres and prompted evacuations of more than 23,000 residents.

    2 sourcesThe New York Times · Just the News

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Residents remain displaced pending containment of the fire.

  2. 02

    Schools in the area canceled outdoor activities due to smoke.

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced2
Confidence score74%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI
Word count132 words
PublishedMay 18, 2026, 11:50 PM

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