A fast-moving wildfire in Southern California has burned hundreds of acres, forced evacuations, and prompted the closure of the Reagan Presidential Library.

According to the Ventura County Fire Department, the Sandy Fire started around 10:50 a.m.

“As of 11:30 a.m. local time, the brush fire was estimated at 184 acres and was threatening nearby structures,” Fox News stated.

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Evacuation orders were issued for residents in parts of Simi Valley—located about 41 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles—and into the Thousand Oaks area.

“We have a good number of air resources on hand,” a fire department spokesperson told “America Reports.”

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Around 200 personnel were battling the fire, as well as five helicopters and three air tankers, he said.

Winds were gusting at 10 mph, with northeast Santa Ana winds expected to continue for the next few hours and weaken through the afternoon, before shifting onshore from the southwest fairly around 4 p.m.

Warm and dry conditions are expected to continue through Tuesday.

In an update, KTLA said the fire had “exploded to 500 acres as firefighters work to steer it away from hundreds of homes in the area.”

“More than 23,000 people were ordered to evacuate Simi Valley,” The New York Times noted.

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Scott Dettorre, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, said that the large-scale evacuations were prompted by offshore winds that were fanning the flames.

Santa Ana winds from the northeast were blowing between 10 to 20 miles per hour with gusts of up to 35 m.p.h. on Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The winds were coming from the northeast, but expected to shift to the southeast in the late afternoon, according to N.W.S.

“In the long game, it should push the fire back onto itself, but for the hour or so when the winds are trying to shift, it can be challenging for firefighters because the winds can be erratic,” said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

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The fire was burning near several schools in Simi Valley. Officials had canceled outdoor activities and were keeping children inside classrooms because of poor air quality, according to the Simi Valley Unified School District. At least two campuses, Crestview Elementary School and Mountain View Elementary School, had their students and staff evacuated to Simi Valley High School, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

The Ronald Reagan Library, on a hilltop in Simi Valley, closed early on Monday because of the fire. The museum isn’t in an evacuation zone but closed “out of an abundance of caution,” said Melissa Giller, a museum spokeswoman.

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