Update: Sandy Fire in Ventura County at 15% containment
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Updated: 9:12 a.m. May 20
First discovered: 46 hours ago, 10:50 a.m. May 18
Initial location: Off Sandy Ave, Simi Valley, Ventura County, Calif.
Fire unit: Ventura County Fire Department
Fire type: Wildfire
Fire name: Sandy Fire
Sandy Fire initially started 10:50 a.m. May 18 on Off Sandy Ave, Simi Valley in Ventura County, California.
It has burned 1,698 acres after being active for 46 hours. A crew of 859 firefighters effectively contained 15% of the fire as of Wednesday morning. However, the cause is still being investigated.
106 engines, two water tenders, eight dozers and 23 hand crews will continue to combat the blaze. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."
Evacuation information from Cal Fire
Evacuation Orders
Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
Visit Ventura County Emergency Information for updated emergency information pretaining to the Sandy Fire.
Evacuation Orders issued for the following zones:
BELL-01
BELL-02
BELL-03
BELL-04
BELL-05
BURR-01
CHES-01
MEIC-01
SASU-01
SASHU-02
Simi Valley 27
Simi Valley 28
Simi Valley 32a
Simi Valley 33
Simi Valley 34
Simi Valley 35
Evacuation Warnings
Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
Visit Ventura County Emergency Information for updated emergency information pretaining to the Sandy Fire.
Evacuation Warnings issued for the following zones:
AGO-C304
BOXC-02
BOXC-03
CAL-C401
CSB-U024
HID-C501
LAC-LAKEMANOR
LAC-WOODLSEY
LFD-0295
LFD-0343
LFD-0405
LFD-0469
LFD-0471
MTV-U048
WTH-U045
Evacuation Shelters
An emergency shelter is open for overnight stay at:
Rancho Santa Susana Community Park
5005 E Los Angeles Avenue
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Animal Evacuation Shelters
For information on animal evacuations, please call Ventura County Animal Services at 805-388-4341.
Small Animal Shelters are open at:
Simi Valley Animal Shelter (Small domestic animals only)
670 W Los Angeles Avenue
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Camarillo Animal Shelter (Small domestic animals only)
600 Aviation Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
Large Animal Shelter for horses and livestock is open at:
Ventura County Fairgrounds
10 E Harbor Blvd.
Ventura, CA 93001
Road Closures
For the current status of county-maintained roads, visit Ventura County Public Works Agency
Bell Canyon Road is closed in both directions from Overland Drive
Katherine Road at railroad tracks
Clear Springs Road from Santa Susana Pass Road to Katherine Road
Oak Knolls Road @ Southern Oaks Avenue
Crinklaw Lane
Santa Susana Pass Road at railroad tracks
Santa Susana Pass Road at Box Canyon Road
See live video from the area:
Https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-OatSouth2
Fire containment
What does it mean for a fire to be 15% contained?
Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 15% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 85% is still uncontrolled.
Containment is part of a larger plan for managing a wildfire. It is normally expressed as a percentage and it refers to how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded/enclosed by a control line that firefighters create. The containment percentage indicates a certain level of control, but it doesn't always correlate to safety level. Also, it's important to note that containment doesn't mean a fire is out.
How is containment measured?
The incident's central command constantly receives progress reports from firefighters on the ground. As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.
Source: Cal Fire
United Robots Sacramento
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 1:37 AM.