California Fire Spread Slows But Dangerous Conditions Linger

Winds that drove a fast-moving brush fire across Southern California’s Simi Valley eased overnight, slowing the blaze’s spread, but dangerous conditions persist as hundreds of firefighters tackle the flames.

Fire activity decreased significantly overnight 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 around the blaze, while helicopters drop water on hotspots, it added.

Lighter winds are expected on Tuesday, but critical fire conditions are still possible due to gusty Santa Anas, low humidity and a prolonged dry spell, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast office in Los Angeles.

The Sandy Fire nearly doubled in size over a two-hour period early on Monday evening, but is currently holding at almost 1,400 acres. More than 10,000 households were ordered to evacuate and another 3,500 were warned to prepare for leave if conditions worsened, according state emergency authorities.

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 on Monday, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles and is uncontained, according to a Cal Fire update that evening. 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.

Winds eased overnight, but were expected to pick up again Tuesday morning, US forecasters said. Gusts reaching 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour are expected Tuesday, along with warm weather and humidity in the low-teens. A cool shift is expected on Thursday, with stronger winds blowing onshore from the ocean, which the National Weather Service said will help ease wildfire 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.