Overview
- The wind-driven blaze, which ignited Monday late morning near Sandy Avenue, expanded from under 200 acres to 1,364 acres by evening with 0% containment.
- Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for Simi Valley Zones 32–35 and warnings in nearby areas, with thousands told to leave and a shelter opened at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park.
- More than 500 firefighters supported by air tankers and helicopters are attacking the fire and defending neighborhoods after at least one home burned.
- Crestview and Mountain View elementary students were bused to Simi Valley High, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library closed for the day due to nearby fire activity.
- Investigators are reviewing a report that a tractor striking a rock ignited the fire, and late-season Santa Ana winds that eased by evening are still complicating containment work.