Sandy Fire Forces Over 43,000 Simi Valley Residents to Flee as Wind-Whipped Blaze Refuses to Yield

Fire season has officially hit the Los Angeles area with three fires popping up in the last couple of days.

The biggest one is the Sandy Fire which originated outside the city of Simi Valley which is northwest of downtown LA. The fire has forced 43,000 people to evacuate.

Fire Season Begins in Los Angeles

The Simi Valley Police Department said it received a report that a person 'hit a rock with a tractor,' which sparked the fire, according to the BBC's US news partner CBS.

The fire rose to about 180 acres in just 30 minutes, and then skyrocketed to more than 700 acres by the early afternoon. By evening, the fire had spread to 1,364 acres, with 0 percent of it contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

'This is the largest blaze we have had this fire year,' said Andy VanSciver a public information officer with the Ventura County Fire Department. 'We are now in a year-round season. And we are transitioning into peak fire season.'

'More than 750 firefighters are responding,' according to Cal Fire and The Washington Post. Also, 'Helicopters were dropping water on hot spots overnight.'

By Tuesday night the fire had burned nearly 1,700 acres and it had only been 5 percent contained.

Simi Valley Residents React to the Blaze

'We've got a good fire break here, so we're not leaving,' he told KTLA's Chris Wolfe. 'We're hoping for the best. It is a little scary, but the wind is going the other direction. So, we're going to wait it out. We've got the cars packed and ready to go.'

Chris Martinez told KTLA that even though they are under evacuation orders, they plan to stay and see if the fire gets worse and, if so, they will be ready to go.

'We have our bags ready and we'll be ready to go if needed,' he explained. 'I want to thank all the firefighters. They are truly one of our greatest heroes.'

'One resident shared time-lapse footage from her doorbell camera that shows just how fast clear skies devolved into a firestorm barreling through the neighborhood, chasing people and their pets out of their homes,' according to KTLA.

'You saw what we got engulfed by,' Jen Borrow, who shared the footage with KTLA, said. 'It was like the middle of a tornado.'

What are the Other Fires Burning in LA Right Now?

There are currently two other major fires burning in the Los Angeles area right now

'Satellite images also show a fire on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Los Angeles that has burned 14,600 acres (6,000 hectares) of the Channel Islands National Park, according to the US National Park Service,' and the BBC.

At least 70 firefighters and park rangers have been battling the blaze on the mostly uninhabited island. The US Coast Guard said a 67-year-old man was rescued from the island, according to CBS.

The third, the Verona fire occurring south of Los Angeles has grown to close to 440 acres.