A fast-moving brush fire broke out near homes in Simi Valley Monday morning, forcing residents to evacuate the area as some homes caught fire.
According to ABC7, the Ventura County Fire Department said that the blaze, dubbed the Sandy Fire, was spreading at a fast rate in the 600 block of Sandy Avenue.
AIR7 was over the scene as flames crept up dangerously close to homes. At least two were seen burning, but fire officials have not provided an exact count.
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for several zones in the area. The blaze has already consumed over 180 acres and is zero-percent contained.
The fire started on a dry hillside surrounded by million-dollar homes, posing a significant threat to the community.
Firefighters are working tirelessly to combat the flames, using both ground crews and water-dropping helicopters.
However, they are facing challenging conditions with wind gusts reaching nearly 40 miles per hour.
Simi Valley is located just north of Los Angeles, and the fire's rapid spread has put entire neighborhoods at risk.
The Sandy Fire is part of a larger pattern of wildfires affecting Southern California.
As per the California Fire Monitoring Service, the state is experiencing an elevated fire risk due to dry conditions and high winds.
These factors have created a "haystack" effect, leaving the landscape highly vulnerable to ignition.
Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that the state has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help combat the Sandy Fire and other active fires.
