Simi Valley fire forces evacuations, burns more than 180 acres

No injuries have been reported so far, but the fire expanded to nearly 200 acres by noon local time Monday.

Published: May 18, 2026 4:04pm

Residents of Simi Valley, California, were forced to evacuate Monday after a blaze spread to at least one home and threatened other buildings in Ventura County. 

The brush fire, dubbed the "Sandy Fire," was reported in the Sandy Drive area of Simi Valley and forced schools in the area to cancel outdoor activities due to heavy smoke encompassing the area, according to VC Star.

No injuries have been reported so far, but the fire expanded to nearly 200 acres by noon local time Monday. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's incident page described the fire as "spreading dangerously fast."

The cause of the fire was also not immediately clear, but more than 200 firefighters have already been assigned to the blaze.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage. 

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