SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – A wildfire burning in the hills above Simi Valley, approximately 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, prompted evacuation orders for thousands of residents on Monday. The Sandy Fire, which started around 10 a.m. local time, had consumed over 500 acres of dry brush by mid-afternoon, according to the Ventura County Fire Department [1]. The blaze was initially driven by morning wind gusts exceeding 30 miles per hour. These conditions contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, which has damaged at least one home [1].