Watch the fires burn on Santa Rosa Island
The Santa Rosa Island fire reached 5,700 acres on May 16th.
Two California fires, the Sandy Fire and the Santa Rosa Island Fire, continued to burn acres of land on Monday, May 18, as dry conditions and winds caused the flames to spread rapidly.
The Sandy Fire started Monday morning in the 600 block of Sandy Drive and quickly spread from less than 200 acres to more than 700 acres by the afternoon. Windy conditions allowed the fire to spread, threatening homes and prompting evacuations.
Meanwhile, the Santa Rosa Island Fire led to the closure of the island by the National Park Service. The “man-made” fire started May 15 and has since destroyed at least two historic buildings, USA TODAY previously reported.
Just before 2 p.m. ET on Monday, May 18, the Santa Rosa Island Fire had burned 10,029 acres in Santa Barbara County and was 0% contained, according to Inciweb, an integrated emergency response website run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Sandy Fire is considered “dangerously fast-moving” and grew to 720 acres in Ventura County around 1:45 p.m. ET, according to CalFire. Evacuation orders were issued for four areas, including Simi Valley 32, 33, 34, and 35, and more than 200 firefighters responded to the blaze.
Below is a map of where the fires are occurring.
