UMVA has learned that evacuation orders have been issued in Southern California as a fast-moving brush fire, dubbed the Sandy Fire, erupted on Monday morning.
The blaze ignited around 10:50 a.m., rapidly consuming 184 acres by 11:30 a.m. and threatening structures in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, just 41 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
A massive response is underway, with over 200 personnel, five helicopters, and three air tankers battling the flames as winds gust up to 10 mph, fueled by northeast Santa Ana winds expected to persist into the afternoon.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that a temporary evacuation point has been established at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park in Simi Valley, as warm, dry conditions are forecast to continue through Tuesday.
This latest inferno comes on the heels of two wildfires in the Antelope Valley over the weekend, both now contained, and as the region still grapples with the aftermath of the devastating 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires that ravaged the area earlier this year.
