{"id":8351,"date":"2026-05-19T09:53:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:53:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/news\/7649673\/more-than-17000-under-evacuation-orders-as-southern-california-wildfire-threatens-homes\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T13:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T20:15:22","slug":"more-than-17000-under-evacuation-orders-as-southern-california-wildfire-threatens-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/8351\/more-than-17000-under-evacuation-orders-as-southern-california-wildfire-threatens-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 17,000 under evacuation orders as Southern California wildfire threatens homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) \u2014 More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California on Tuesday as a wildfire threatened suburban homes.<\/p>\n

The wind-driven Sandy Fire<\/a> was reported Monday in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. <\/p>\n

By Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than two square miles (five square kilometers) of dry brush and destroyed at least one home<\/a>, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.<\/p>\n

The flames were initially pushed by gusts that topped 30 mph (48 kph), but firefighters were aided by calmer winds overnight, said department spokesperson Andrew Dowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve made a lot of progress against this fire with those improved weather conditions,” Dowd said. Crews hoped to make further progress before winds increased again, he said.<\/p>\n

The fire was 5% contained. The cause is under investigation. <\/p>\n

Evacuation orders and warnings were still in place for several neighborhoods in Simi Valley, a city of more than 125,000 people that was shrouded in smoke as aircraft made water drops. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a 23-square-mile (59-square-kilometer) blaze on Santa Rosa Island, off the Southern California coast. The fire destroyed a cabin and an equipment shed and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees. <\/p>\n

There was no containment as of Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

Santa Rosa, a popular destination for camping and hiking, is home to island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.<\/p>\n

\n \"|\"
A charred vehicle sits under debris during wildfires, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo\/Caroline Brehman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n \"|\"
An air tanker drops retardant on the Sandy Fire on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo\/Ethan Swope)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n \"|\"
Fire crews battle the Sandy Fire, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo\/Ethan Swope)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n \"|\"
Matt Brantley and his kids hand a firefighter a drink during wildfires, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo\/Caroline Brehman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) \u2014 More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California on Tuesday as a wildfire threatened suburban homes. The wind-driven Sandy Fire was reported Monday in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. By Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":8356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"guid":"cad6ec63-d5ef-4590-b3d9-2f1dcc892596","source":"The Associated Press","byline":"","published":"2026-05-19 09:53:50","updated":"2026-05-19 13:07:22","_infotelid":"","_prepressid":"","_multisite_post_sync":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1737,1738],"tags":[],"region":[],"class_list":["post-8351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-world"],"blocksy_meta":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/8351\/more-than-17000-under-evacuation-orders-as-southern-california-wildfire-threatens-homes\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"More than 17,000 under evacuation orders as Southern California wildfire threatens homes","url":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/8351\/more-than-17000-under-evacuation-orders-as-southern-california-wildfire-threatens-homes\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/news\/8351\/more-than-17000-under-evacuation-orders-as-southern-california-wildfire-threatens-homes\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/inhome-2c4dbc0682f248dfe0598151c289b4e80db6b2609e6601c18ef302cc091ad1ea.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inhome\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/inhome-2c4dbc0682f248dfe0598151c289b4e80db6b2609e6601c18ef302cc091ad1ea.jpg"},"articleSection":"International","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Associated Press"}],"creator":["The Associated Press"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"iNhome","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2026-05-19T16:53:50Z","datePublished":"2026-05-19T16:53:50Z","dateModified":"2026-05-19T20:15:22Z"},"rendered":"