The Sandy Fire was a large wildfire south of Simi Valley in Ventura County, California. The fire ignited on May 18, 2026, and was contained on May 27 after burning .
Cause The cause is under investigation with reports of the fire being sparked by a tractor hitting a rock.
Progression Driven by springtime Santa Ana Winds, the fire broke out at 10:50a.m. on May 18, 2026, south of Simi Valley, California. By 11:03a.m., the fire covered 10 acres and was spreading rapidly. A Cal Fire status report at 11:17a.m. said the fire had spread to , had spotted over a road, and was continuing to spread to the southeast.
Later on in the day, around 1:44 p.m., the fire moved towards the Westlake area, wind driven and posing a threat to life and property. Evacuation orders were expanded as the fire continued to spot and grew to .
A wind shift then drove the fire southeast with additional evacuations being ordered for Bell and surrounding canyons. The fire had surpassed with containment remaining at 0%. Fire activity diminished overnight due to increased humidity and lighter winds with over 750 personnel assigned to the blaze.
The next day during the afternoon hours, the fire flared up again and was running to the south once more, spotting across Albertson motorway and burning into inaccessible terrain with the wind, but only for a short time as fire activity decreased again later in the afternoon only to increase again this time pushing up against houses off of Sequoia Avenue for the rest of the day, staying on that side of the avenue allowing heavy equipment and firefighters to work on containment during the overnight hours, which was increased to 15%. One structure was also destroyed and was shown on news stations.https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/5/18/sandy-fire/updates/51ec0c8b-533e-4fbf-84c9-0f39f0a7d32dhttps://ktla.com/news/ventura-county/sandy-fire-forces-evacuations-for-more-than-43000-simi-valley-residents/
At over , the fire flared up again on the 20th, however, it was mostly contained. Over 1,000 personnel were working the fire and containment increased steadily in the coming days, reaching 71% on the morning of May 24, and 75% by that evening.
Effects The Sandy Fire prompted evacuation orders and warnings across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. An evacuation center opened at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park and a large animal shelter at Ventura County Fairgrounds. The fire destroyed one home. Schools in Simi Valley Unified School District were closed for the week of May 18. The fire prompted an air quality alert in nearby areas.
Growth and containment table +DateAcres (hectares) BurnedPersonnel Containment CitationMay 18May 19869May 20859May 211,121May 221,156May 23431May 24147 May 25May 26May 27
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