Several fires are burning around Southern California. Here's a roundup

Matthew Ballinger is the senior editor for climate and environment coverage at LAist.

Published May 19, 2026 4:02 PM

Updated May 19, 2026 4:10 PM

Several buildings are seen next to a cove on a rugged island.

Several fires are burning across Southern California, with some destroying structures, threatening homes and charring pristine landscapes.

Warm weather and Santa Ana wind conditions have hampered firefighting efforts and are expected to continue through Wednesday this week. The National Weather Service forecasts cooler weather and "May gray" through the weekend.

Here's a roundup of some of the fires burning now.

(All dates refer to today, Tuesday, May 19, unless otherwise noted)

Santa Rosa Island Fire (Santa Barbara County)

CalFire incident page
Channel Islands National Park on social media
Acreage: About 17,000 as of 2 p.m.
Containment: 0% as of 2 p.m.
Cause: KTLA and other outlets have reported a man whose boat shipwrecked fired a rescue flare that sparked the fire.

The fire is burning in Channel Island National Park territory. Firefighters traveled by boat with their equipment to get to the island, according to news reports. The island is home to rare and endangered plants and animals.

Sandy Fire (Ventura County)

CalFire incident page
Ventura County emergency website (includes evacuation information)
Acreage: About 1,400 as of 3 p.m.
Containment: 5% as of 3 p.m.
Cause: Under investigation

CalFire reported about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday that lessening winds allowed "firefighters to take full advantage of improved weather to strengthen containment lines and continue aggressive suppression efforts. Crews remain actively engaged both on the ground and in the air to gain additional containment and keep the fire within its current perimeter."

The fire started Monday in the southern part of Simi Valley. It eventually spread eastward toward L.A. County communities in the San Fernando Valley, but overnight conditions were favorable to firefighters, CalFire said. Several communities were under evacuation orders and warnings, and schools in the area were closed.

Bain Fire (Riverside County)

CalFire incident page (includes evacuation information)
Social media updates
Acreage: About 600 as of 3 p.m.
Containment: 0% as of 3:45 p.m.
Cause: Under investigation

The fire was first reported around noon Tuesday, according to CalFire, near Jurupa Valley (east of the 15 Freeway and south of the 60). CBS News Los Angeles reported that four people have been injured.

Verona Fire (Riverside County)

CalFire incident page (includes evacuation information)
Social media updates
Acreage: About 200 as of 3 p.m.
Containment: 0% as of 3 p.m.
Cause: Under investigation

Burro Fire (Angeles National Forest)

CalFire incident page
Social media updates
Acreage: 30
Containment: 70% as of about 3:30 p.m.
Cause: Under investigation

The fire started Monday in a mountainous area north of the San Gabriel Reservoir.

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