The spread of a brush fire in Southern California’s Simi Valley has slowed after winds fanning the flames eased, with hundreds of firefighters working through the night to contain the blaze.
Fire activity has decreased significantly due to calmer winds along with higher humidities, according to an update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. There are 750 firefighters working to build containment lines, while helicopters drop water on hotspots, it added.
The fast-moving Sandy Fire nearly doubled in size over a two hour period early on Monday evening, but is currently holding at almost 1,400 acres. Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued, and Ventura County officials said all campuses in the Simi Valley school district will be closed on Tuesday.
The Sandy Fire broke out just before 11 a.m. local time about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles and is currently uncontained, according to Cal Fire. Containment describes the proportion of the perimeter of a blaze that’s hemmed in so that flames can’t escape.
“While the Sandy Fire is in Ventura County, the Los Angeles Fire Department continues to closely monitor the situation and has deployed resources on the ground — including strike teams, a hand crew, and helicopters — to assist local crews in firefighting efforts,” according to a statement from Mayor Karen Bass. “At this time, we do not expect the wildfire to reach the City of Los Angeles.”
Some evacuation orders have been lifted for Simi Valley, along with warnings for Thousand Oaks. The two areas neighbor the affluent Southern California enclaves of Calabasas and Agoura Hills, as well as the popular Santa Monica Mountains. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was also evacuated and closed for the fire, according to statement from the Reagan Foundation.
There’s still an elevated threat for fire weather conditions on Tuesday, even with slightly weaker winds, due to a prolonged warm and dry period, the Los Angeles branch of the National Weather Service said in a forecast. Winds blowing onshore from the ocean will strengthen Wednesday and Thursday, it added, which could help alleviate fire risks.
PG&E Corp. had earlier shut off power to about 20,000 homes and businesses to prevent blazes in central California, according to the company’s website.
In California, 8% of all wildfire ignitions are caused by utility equipment, yet the liability tends to fall on the utility companies in the area, says Mizuho Securities analyst Anthony Crowdell. That’s why fires like the Sandy Fire make investors immediately wary of local utilities, he added.
Shares of California utilities Edison International and PG&E fell as much as 6% and 5.3%, respectively, on Monday.
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