Sandy Fire Blackens Nearly 1,700 Acres As Over 40K Ordered To Evacuate

SIMI VALLEY, CA — The Sandy Fire had spread to nearly 1,700 acres as of Tuesday evening, with evacuation orders affecting over 40,000 people, according to officials.

At least one home was destroyed in the fire as of Tuesday morning, which had scorched more than 1,300 acres near the Ventura-Los Angeles county line since it broke out about a day ago.

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The blaze broke out around 10:15 a.m. on Monday near Sandy Drive, in a wilderness area abutting a residential neighborhood in the southeastern part of Simi Valley, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The area is north of Calabasas and Agoura Hills and west of the San Fernando Valley.

As of around 8 a.m. Tuesday, the fire had burned 1,386 Acres and was 5% contained, according to Cal Fire. At least one home was destroyed in the blaze, Ventura County fire officials said Monday afternoon.

As of about 7 p.m., containment remained at 5 percent, but the size of the fire had jumped to 1,698 acres, according to Cal Fire.

No injuries have been reported.

"Fire activity has decreased significantly due to lighter wind conditions, allowing firefighters to take full advantage of improved weather to strengthen containment lines and continue aggressive suppression efforts. Crews remain actively engaged both on the ground and in the air to gain additional containment and keep the fire within its current perimeter," fire officials said in a Tuesday afternoon update.

Authorities were keeping an eye on a shift in wind patterns expected later Tuesday.

Evacuation orders and warnings that were put in place in Ventura County soon after the fire broke out Monday remain in place. On Monday evening, evacuation warnings were issued in LA County, including for parts of Chatsworth, Canoga Park, Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Hidden Hills.

Over 17,000 people were under evacuation orders on Tuesday in connection to the fire, down from around 28,000 the day before, according to officials.

That number had spiked to nearly 44,000 residents under evacuation orders as of 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

Officials also warned that smoke was expected to drift into the Valley overnight.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a wildfire smoke advisor through Tuesday evening. Due to wind directions, areas likely to experience poor air quality include Calabasas, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, among others, according to officials.

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Material from City News Service and the Associated Press was used in this report.