Sandy Fire in Simi Valley: Thousands remain under evac orders as blaze now 30% contained

The Sandy Fire has grown in size again, but containment has also gone up.

Cal Fire says the fire is now 2,115 acres in size, while containment has reached 22%.

All Simi Valley Unified School District schools will be closed for the remainder of the week due to the Sandy Fire, the school district announced Wednesday on its website.

The closures also extend to all after-school programs on campus.

The district expects schools to reopen Tuesday. All schools were already scheduled to be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

The Sandy Fire is 15% contained and has scorched nearly 1,700 acres. Thousands of residents remain under evacuation orders and warnings.

Multiple wildfires burning across Southern California are impacting air quality and spreading smoke and ash across several communities, prompting health warnings from officials.

The Sandy Fire in Ventura County entered its third day on Wednesday as shifting winds and rising temperatures were reported in Glendale, Pasadena, Monrovia and as far as Chino Hills.

Residents reported the air "smelled like an ashtray," though experts caution that smell alone is not a reliable indicator of air quality.

Fires in Riverside County - the Bain and Verona fires - as well as the Santa Rosa Island Fire in Santa Barbara County are also contributing to pollution levels across the region.

READ MORE | Air quality concerns rise as smoke from several SoCal wildfires spreads. Here's what you should know

Multiple wildfires burning across Southern California are impacting air quality and spreading smoke and ash across several communities, prompting health warnings from officials.

As the Sandy Fire continues to burn for the third straight day, firefighters appear to be making progress, boosting containment to 15%.

As the Sandy Fire continues to burn for the third straight day, firefighters appear to be making progress, boosting containment to 15%.

"We have 869 firefighters from agencies all across California assisting in this firefight," said Ventura County Fire Public Information Officer Andrew Dowd. "Throughout the night, we did see some active spotting of fire across in different locations, and the fire continues to push to the east. We were able to put adequate resources in place to both attack the fire directly and provide structured defense."

Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft conducted water drops overnight as crews worked to slow the fire's spread and protect additional neighborhoods. Though damage assessments were still underway, crews continued to address hot spots across rugged terrain.

"At this point, we can still confirm that there's one resident's home that has been destroyed by the fire," said Dowd. "We don't have the confirmation of any additional damaged homes, but we have teams out there assessing that right now."

Fire officials said calmer winds Tuesday helped firefighting efforts. Dowd said there are 4,300 residents under evacuation orders.

Meantime, the Simi Valley Unified School District canceled classes for a second consecutive day.