The Sandy Fire broke out Monday morning, May 18, 2026, in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Winds gusting over 30 mph initially pushed the fire through dry brush, rapidly expanding the burn area [2, 3, 4]. By Tuesday morning, the fire had burned more than 1,300 acres (about 526 hectares or 2 square miles), destroying at least one home [3, 7, 5].

The fire mainly threatens suburban neighborhoods and natural areas across Ventura County. Evacuation orders affected over 17,000 people, including residents in several communities in Simi Valley and parts of Thousand Oaks. Thousands more were placed under evacuation warnings in some Los Angeles neighborhoods as a precaution [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. More than 10,000 homes have been evacuated, with roughly 3,500 additional households under warnings [3, 5].

Firefighters mobilized around 750 personnel with helicopters, air tankers, and strike teams from both Los Angeles and Ventura counties to battle the blaze [3, 5, 6]. By midday on May 19, the fire was 5% contained, aided by steadily calming winds overnight. Ventura County fire spokesperson Scott Dettorre said, "As the sun sets, those winds will calm down even more," while Andrew Dowd noted, "We’ve made a lot of progress against this fire with those improved weather conditions" [3, 4].

The Los Angeles Fire Department is assisting local efforts but does not anticipate the fire reaching the city limits. Mayor Karen Bass stated, "At this time, we do not expect the wildfire to reach the City of Los Angeles" [3, 5]. Meanwhile, the cause of the fire remains under investigation [3, 4].

On May 18, California secured a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to support ongoing firefighting operations [5]. Separate from the Sandy Fire, a large unrelated wildfire on Santa Rosa Island has burned approximately 5,876 hectares, destroying a cabin and forcing evacuations of National Park Service staff [3, 5].

Authorities continue to monitor conditions closely as crews work to contain the Sandy Fire. Evacuation orders remain in place with efforts focused on protecting homes and natural lands in the Ventura County area.