The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was evacuated today as the Easy Fire in California loomed near. The fire grew quickly, already reaching 1,300 acres in size when it first started around 6 a.m. on October 30, 2019. Here’s a look at how close the fire is to the Ronald Reagan Library and more details about what’s happening.
The Fire Is Dangerously Close to the Reagan Library
The Easy Fire has already grown to 1,300 acres and is threatening 6,500 homes in Ventura County as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Capt. Brian McGrath said the fire was a big concern, KTLA 5 reported.
John Heubusch, the executive director for the library, told KTLA 5: “There’s never been fires this close to the library. It’s a place of a national treasure and the flames are licking right up against it.”
The fire’s cause isn’t yet known, but why it grew so quickly is known. Red Flag conditions have been in place for a wind event in the region. Winds were expected to gust from 40 mph to 60 mph in the region today, which has helped the fire grow so quickly.
This video shows you how close the fire is to the library:
A map of the fire, including current evacuations, is below. You can see the full map here.
You can see more live videos of the fire below. The first is from ABC 7:
Next is a stream from NBC LA:
And Fox 8.
Next is a live stream from The Washington Post.
The best resource for updates on evacuations is Ventura County’s Emergency page here.
The Reagan Foundation’s webpage notes that the library is currently closed:
Reagan Library
The Library stores presidential records from Reagan’s presidency and is the burial place for both President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Details on Evacuations, Road Closures & School Closures
With the fire growing, school and road closures have also been issued. According to Ventura County’s Emergency webpage, road closures include:
- SR-23 between Avenida de los Arboles and 118 Interchange
- Moorpark Road at Tierra Rejada Road
- Santa Rosa at Moorpark Road
School closures include the following. You can get an updated list here.
- ACCESS School (Moorpark)
- ACE Charter High School (Camarillo)
- Bridges Charter School (Thousand Oaks)
- Briggs School District
- CAPE Charter School (Camarillo)
- Conejo Valley Unified School District
- Fillmore Unified School District
- Las Virgenes Unified School District
- MATES Charter School (Thousand Oaks)
- Moorpark Unified School District
- Mupu School District
- Oak Park Unified School District
- Phoenix Los Nogales School (Camarillo)
- Pleasant Valley School District
- River Oaks Charter School Resource Centers in Oxnard and Westlake Village
- Santa Clara Elementary School District
- Santa Paula Unified School District
- Santa Rosa Technology Magnet School (Camarillo)
- Simi Valley Unified School District
- Somis Union School District
- Triggs School (Thousand Oaks)
- University Preparation Charter School (Camarillo)
- VCOE Career Education Center in Moorpark
- VCOE Special Education Classrooms at La Mariposa Elementary School, Las Colinas Elementary School and the Pleasant Valley Early Childhood Center
- Vista Real Charter High School, Simi Valley Resource Center
How To Stay Updated on the Fire
The best resource for updates on evacuations is Ventura County’s Emergency page here. The Twitter account for VCFD PIO is another good resource.
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