A fast-growing wildfire in Southern California has prompted mass evacuations and burned more than 10,000 acres across multiple areas, including Channel Islands National Park. The fire, known as the Sandy Fire, was reported Monday morning just after 10 a.m. in Simi Valley, a city in Ventura County approximately 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Evacuation orders were issued for more than 20,000 residents as the brush fire spread rapidly through the region. The blaze has damaged at least one home and threatened additional structures in the area.

On Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, 11 National Park Service employees were evacuated by helicopter as the fire spread across the island. The fire has burned park buildings and poses a threat to rare Torrey pines in the protected area.

According to reports, the fire was accidentally started by a shipwrecked sailor who used flares while stranded on the Channel Islands. The individual was subsequently rescued from Channel Islands National Park, but the flares ignited the wildfire that has since grown to cover thousands of acres.

The fire's rapid spread has been aided by typical Southern California conditions that make the region prone to wildfires. Emergency crews continue to battle the blaze as officials monitor the situation and assess potential threats to additional communities in the area.