Update: Sandy Fire in Ventura County at nearly full containment

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Updated: 6:43 a.m. May 26

First discovered: 8 days 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 2,183 acres after being active for eight days. A crew of 147 firefighters effectively contained 90% of the fire as of Tuesday morning. However, the cause is still being investigated.

The fire is fought by 15 engines, one water tender, six dozers and three hand crews. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."

See live video from the area:

Https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-OatSouth2

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 90% contained?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 90% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 10% 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

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 7:15 AM.