Fast-growing southern California brush fire prompts evacuation orders

A brush fire ignited Monday morning in southern California near Simi Valley in Ventura County. The Sandy fire was reported just after 10am and expanded to more than 700 acres shortly before 2pm. No containment was reported as of Monday afternoon. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for more than 20,000 residents in the southern part of the city, which has a population exceeding 125,000. Aerial footage showed at least one home on fire, and fire officials did not provide an exact damage count. Multiple helicopters conducted water drops while thick gray smoke covered nearby neighborhoods. Crews worked to prevent flames from moving down slopes toward suburban areas of Thousand Oaks. A National Weather Service advisory warned of winds of 20 to 30mph until 3pm.

"The Sandy fire was reported just after 10am in Simi Valley, a city in Ventura county about 30 miles north-west of Los Angeles. The blaze had spread to over 700 acres shortly before 2pm. The fire had no containment as of Monday afternoon."

"Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for more than 20,000 residents in the southern part of the city, the New York Times estimated. The city has a population of more than 125,000 people. Aerial footage from local TV stations showed at least one home on fire. Fire officials did not provide an exact count."

"Multiple helicopters could be seen performing water drops over the blaze, while mass clouds of gray smoke blanketed the neighborhood. Crews were scrambling to keep flames from moving down slopes into the suburban neighborhoods of Thousand Oaks."

"A National Weather Service advisory warning of winds 20 to 30mph was issued for the area until 3pm. We are still anticipating a change in the weather to our advantage, said Ventura County Fire's Andy Van Sciver, according to ABC 7 News."

Read at www.theguardian.com