SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (KEYT) – Fire crews are on the scene of a 1364-acre vegetation fire south of Simi Valley that has triggered evacuation orders and warnings in the surrounding areas as well as two school closures Monday.
An information hotline has been set up for those with questions at 805-465-6650 shared the Ventura County Emergency Information website.
People who live along Sandy Ave. near it start of the fire could see the countless water and fire retardant drops overhead.
Meredith Henderson watched with her sons.
"I'm in awe, I'm shocked I've never seen so many, this is absolutely unbelievable; the aircraft, the planes, the helicopters, it was like a war zone scene, they are just going back and forth, back and forth; doing such good job to contain this and protect the house,s we are so thankful for the fire crew and the pilots up there, we have been out here just watching in awe," said Henderson.
"I want to be a fireman when I grow up because it looks fun for some reason, I don't know why," said Nathaniel Henderson, " but, it is just crazy that all these planes and stuff are flying in."
People rushed home from work to check on loved ones.
John Rodriguez left his plumming office to check on his mother and grandmother.
"I looked over and I saw this huge plume of smoke, and it looked like a bomb went off, like a big atomic cloud, and I'm am like this is not good, so honestly, I got a little teary eyed," said Rodriguez.
Evacuation orders went out as the wind driven fire kept doubling in size.but that doesn't mean they were followed.
Some of these Phos-Chek and water drops just missed the hand crews that are trying to put a containment line around the fire.
Some of the hand crews are inmates who broke for lunch at dinner time.
A temporary evacuation point has been established at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park at 505 Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley.
The red areas in the image above are under current evacuation orders and the yellow areas in the image above are under evacuation warnings.
For the latest information, visit the Ventura County Sheriff's Emergency Services Incident Dashboard. All current evacuation orders and warnings across Ventura County are detailed below.
Evacuation Orders
- Simi Valley 32
- Simi Valley 33
- Simi Valley 34
- Simi Valley 35
- Meier Canyon 01 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 4:30 p.m.
- Burro Flats 01 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 4:50 p.m.
- Cheeseboro Canyon 01
- Bell Canyon 01 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 5:15 p.m.
- Bell Canyon 02 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 5:15 p.m.
- Bell Canyon 03 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 5:15 p.m.
- Bell Canyon 04 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 5:15 p.m.
- Bell Canyon 05 - Upgraded to Evacuation Order at 5:15 p.m.
- Santa Susana 01
- Santa Susana 02
Evacuation Warnings