Tens of thousands evacuated due to wildfire near Los Angeles

Evacuation orders remained in place Thursday for tens of thousands of Californians in Ventura County and parts of Los Angeles County while firefighters battled the Sandy Fire. The fire covered 2,215 acres and was just 15% contained as of Wednesday evening, according to Ventura County’s emergency communications site. The number of people under evacuation orders reduced to about 17,000 on Wednesday, down from nearly 44,000 on Tuesday, news outlet El País reported.

Roughly 900 firefighters were working around the clock to quench the blaze using ground crews, helicopters, and bulldozers, according to the Ventura County fire department. Aircraft were focusing on steep and difficult areas of terrain while ground crews concentrated on the southern and eastern edges of the fire. In some areas, firefighters were hiking several miles over mountains to cut down trees and other potential wildfire fuel with chainsaws as part of containment efforts, Fire Captain Trevor Johnson said in a video post Wednesday on Facebook.

The blaze began as a fast-moving brush fire sometime around Tuesday, originating near homes in the town of Simi Valley, roughly 30 miles from Los Angeles. At least one home burned, and many others were threatened, according to local news. A tractor striking a rock may have sparked the fire, but the official cause was still unknown.

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