Update: Sandy Fire in Ventura County still at 61% containment by Saturday morning

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Updated: 6:56 a.m. May 23

First discovered: 5 days ago, 10:50 a.m. May 18

Initial location: Off Sandy Ave, Simi Valley, Ventura County, Calif.

Fire unit: Ventura County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Sandy Fire

Sandy Fire initially started 10:50 a.m. May 18 off Off Sandy Ave, Simi Valley in Ventura County, California.

It has burned 2,182.8 acres after being active for five days. A crew of 1,156 firefighters effectively contained 61% of the fire as of Saturday morning. However, the cause is still being investigated.

106 engines, two water tenders, eight dozers and 23 hand crews will continue to combat the blaze. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."

Evacuation information from Cal Fire

Evacuation Warnings

Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Visit Ventura County Emergency Information for updated emergency information pertaining to the Sandy Fire.

Evacuation Warnings issued for the following zones:

Ventura County

BURR-01A

MEIC-01

SIMI-32A

SIMI-34B

SIMI-35

Evacuation Shelters

An emergency shelter is open for overnight stay at:

Rancho Santa Susana Community Park

5005 E Los Angeles Avenue

Simi Valley, CA 93063

Animal Evacuation Shelters

For information on animal evacuations, please call Ventura County Animal Services at 805-388-4341.

Small Animal Shelters are open at:

Simi Valley Animal Shelter (Small domestic animals only)

670 W Los Angeles Avenue

Simi Valley, CA 93065

Camarillo Animal Shelter (Small domestic animals only)

600 Aviation Drive

Camarillo, CA 93010

Large Animal Shelter for horses and livestock is open at:

Ventura County Fairgrounds

10 E Harbor Blvd.

Ventura, CA 93001

Road Closures

For the current status of county-maintained roads, visit Ventura County Public Works Agency

Bell Canyon Road is closed in both directions from Overland Drive

Katherine Road at railroad tracks

Clear Springs Road from Santa Susana Pass Road to Katherine Road

Oak Knolls Road @ Southern Oaks Avenue

Crinklaw Lane

Santa Susana Pass Road at railroad tracks

Santa Susana Pass Road at Box Canyon Road

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 61% contained?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 61% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 39% is still uncontrolled.

Containment is part of a larger plan for managing a wildfire. It is normally expressed as a percentage and it refers to how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded/enclosed by a control line that firefighters create. The containment percentage indicates a certain level of control, but it doesn't always correlate to safety level. Also, it's important to note that containment doesn't mean a fire is out.

How is containment measured?

The incident's central command constantly receives progress reports from firefighters on the ground. As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.

Source: Cal Fire

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 7:06 AM.