Southern California's first big wildfire of the year blew up fast on Monday, forcing evacuations from more than 10,000 homes in the Simi Valley area as smoke spread across the region, reports the Washington Post. Dubbed the Sandy Fire, the blaze ignited late Monday morning in Ventura County near the Los Angeles County line, scorching close to 1,400 acres by nightfall with no containment, according to Cal Fire. Upward of 750 firefighters and aerial crews worked overnight as shifting winds complicated efforts to steer flames toward previously burned ground.
Police tell NBC Los Angeles that they received a call on Monday morning around 10:15 from a Simi Valley resident who reported that their tractor had struck a rock and sparked a fire, though fire officials say the investigation is ongoing. Two elementary schools and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library evacuated Monday, per the Post; all Simi Valley Unified schools are closed on Tuesday.
An air quality alert was issued for most of Los Angeles County and all of Orange County as smoke drifted toward coastal communities, with another wind shift expected on Tuesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom said California has secured a FEMA grant to support the response, which jumped from roughly 200 to 500 personnel within hours. The AP notes that firefighters are also currently battling a blaze encompassing 15 square miles on Southern California's Santa Rosa Island, which has so far taken out a cabin and gear shed and led to the evacuation of nearly a dozen National Park Service workers.
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