The wind-whipped Easy Fire erupted in Simi Valley on Wednesday morning near the 118 freeway and Madera Street, then spread toward Thousand Oaks and Moorpark.
It has burned more than 1,600 acres and threatened more than 6,000 homes. 26,000 people are estimated to be affected. The fire is not currently contained. Some 800 firefighters are on the scene.
The National Weather Service issued an “extreme red flag warning” until Thursday 6 PM.
Ventura County Fire Assistant Chief Chad Cook said on Wednesday, “The fire outflanked us very rapidly today, pushed by those 40 to 50 mph winds. We did experience gusts up to 65, which made long range spotting very dangerous, and quickly outpacing our initial resources.”
Cook added that his team expected the winds to stay for 24-48 hours, though wind wasn't the only factor. "Our low relative humidity, the drought that we've suffered in Southern California, our warm dry air mass that's over the area right now, rates of spread can easily outpace initial attack resources."
The Easy Fire threatens the Ronald Reagan Library, where both Ronald and Nancy Reagan are buried. Melissa Giller, Chief Marketing Officer of the Reagan Library, says the library was built to withstand natural disasters.
For the latest information, visit Ventura County’s Office Of Emergency Services.
Evacuation centers:
- Thousand Oaks Community Center (2525 N. Moorpark Rd.)
- Rancho Santa Susana Community Center (5005 E. Los Angeles Ave.)
- Camarillo Adoption Center (600 Aviation Dr.) *For small animals
- Earl Warren Showgrounds (3400 Calle Real) *For large animals
Schools closed:
- Simi Valley public schools.
- Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College, California Lutheran University, California State University Channel Islands.
Roads closed:
- Tierra Rejada Rd is open to residents only from Highway 23 to Mandan Place (Simi Valley) until 2 PM.
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*Last updated: 10/31/19 at 10:33 AM.