More than 17,000 under evacuation orders as Southern California wildfire threatens homes

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California on Tuesday as a wildfire threatened suburban homes.

The wind-driven Sandy Fire was reported Monday in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

By Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than two square miles (five square kilometers) of dry brush and destroyed at least one home, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The flames were initially pushed by gusts that topped 30 mph (48 kph), but firefighters were aided by calmer winds overnight, said department spokesperson Andrew Dowd.

“We've made a lot of progress against this fire with those improved weather conditions," Dowd said. Crews hoped to make further progress before winds increased again, he said.

The fire was 5% contained. The cause is under investigation.

Evacuation orders and warnings were still in place for several neighborhoods in Simi Valley, a city of more than 125,000 people that was shrouded in smoke as aircraft made water drops.

Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a 23-square-mile (59-square-kilometer) blaze on Santa Rosa Island, off the Southern California coast. The fire destroyed a cabin and an equipment shed and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees.

There was no containment as of Tuesday morning.

Santa Rosa, a popular destination for camping and hiking, is home to island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.

Matt Brantley and his kids hand a firefighter a drink during wildfires, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

A charred vehicle sits under debris during wildfires, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Matt and Kim Brantley bring firefighters snacks and refreshments with their kids during wildfires, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Inmate crews hike while battling the Sandy Fire Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

A helicopter drops water on the Sandy Fire, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Fire crews battle the Sandy Fire, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

An air tanker drops retardant on the Sandy Fire on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Fire crews conduct a firing operation to control the Sandy Fire Monday, May 18, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel this week to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden, where U.S. plans to reduce troop levels in Europe coupled with President Donald Trump’s often inconsistent stance on the alliance have created concern while the world grapples with the fallout from the Iran war and rising energy prices.

The State Department said Tuesday that Rubio would attend the NATO meeting in Helsingborg on Friday, one of the last senior-level NATO gatherings before alliance leaders meet at a summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July.

Rubio will then travel on to India and plans to visit four cities, including Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi, where he will see Indian officials and is expected to meet with his Indian, Australian and Japanese counterparts, the other three members of the so-called “Quad” grouping of Indo-Pacific democracies.

In Sweden, Rubio will echo previous U.S. demands “for increased defense investment and greater burden sharing in the alliance,” the State Department said in a statement.

It added that he would also focus on Arctic issues and meet with NATO's Arctic members “to discuss our shared economic and security interests in the Arctic and our strengthened posture in the High North.”

The statement did not mention Greenland by name, but Trump has rankled Europeans with persistent talk about wanting to take over the Danish territory. Trump's special envoy for Greenland, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, visited the island this week.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Monday that he had a respectful and positive meeting with Landry, but that he made it clear that the Greenlandic people insist on self-determination.

“The Greenlandic people are not for sale. Greenlandic self-determination is not something that can be negotiated,” Nielsen was quoted by Danish TV 2 as saying after meeting Landry.

For Europeans nervous about Trump, Rubio's presence at transatlantic meetings has often been welcomed because of his less antagonistic nature and calm demeanor.

He has been dispatched on several such missions this year, including to the Munich Security Conference in February, and more recently to Italy, where he met with Italian officials and the pope after Trump criticized the pontiff for his stances on crime and the Iran war.

Ahead of the NATO foreign ministers meeting, the alliance's top military officer said Tuesday that he doesn’t expect any more drawdowns of American troops from Europe — at least not anytime soon — beyond the 5,000 that Trump announced would leave the continent.

The remarks by U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich follow Trump’s surprise announcement of the move early this month. The U.S. leader has bickered with allies over the Iran war and called for changes.

The Pentagon later said it would draw down thousands of troops in Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany as opposed to yanking out forces already stationed there.

Asked Tuesday about Trump’s plans regarding troop levels in Poland, Vice President JD Vance said the administration’s focus is on promoting “European independence and sovereignty.” He also disputed that the U.S. is reducing troop levels in Poland.

“What we did is that we delayed a troop deployment that was going to go to Poland,” Vance told White House reporters. “That’s not a reduction. That’s just a standard delay in rotation that sometimes happens in these situations.”

Trump’s announcement blindsided NATO and came despite U.S. promises to coordinate military moves with its allies and avoid creating security gaps.

Trump was notably angry at Germany, after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the United States was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of U.S. strategy in the war.

Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends at a press conference at the US Embassy in Rome, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Stefano Rellandini/Pool Photo via AP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio departs Air Force One upon President Trump's arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)