Sandy Fire in Simi Valley: Thousands remain under evac orders as blaze now 22% contained

A Simi Valley homeowner whose house was destroyed in the Sandy Fire says a doorbell camera alert helped save his wife's life Monday.

Randy and Beth Byle's home is the only one known to have been destroyed by the Sandy Fire so far. They had lived there for nearly 40 years.

The Sandy Fire, which broke out Monday morning, had burned over 2,100 acres and was 22% contained by Wednesday evening.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Melissa Adan, Randy recounted the harrowing moments after the Sandy Fire ignited.

Randy said he was at work Monday when he received a notification on his phone alerting him to a fire at their home.

He immediately called his wife so she could gather their belongings, take their parrot and evacuate before it was too late.

When Randy got to their house, he said he didn't know whether his wife had made it out already.

"It was so smoky you couldn't see through here. It was really bad. That's why I didn't know she wasn't here," Randy said. "I told the fireman she might be in there, I don't know. And then I tried calling and I found out she was away."

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With multiple wildfires burning in Southern California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended a smoke advisory until 10 p.m. Thursday.

"It's not always possible to see or smell smoke," said Scott Epstein with the South Coast Air Quality Management District. "Also, there are pollutants that we worry about in Southern California that you can't smell like ozone or smog pollution."

Experts advise to stay indoors and limit exposure if possible, especially for those in the sensitive group.

"If you are in an area with poor air quality you want to minimize the amount of pollution that you breathe in, so the best way to do that is to avoid outdoor strenuous activity where you breathe in a lot more air," Epstein said.

With multiple wildfires burning, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended a smoke advisory until 10 p.m. Thursday.

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.