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.

A firefighter conducts a firing operation, as the Sandy Fire approaches, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

A water tanker drops water while firefighters walk below, as the Sandy Fire approaches, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

A firefighter works as the Sandy Fire approaches, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Firefighters battle the Sandy Fire Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

A helicopter drops water on wildfires, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

A resident evacuates during as the Sandy Fire approaches, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

A resident uses a smartphone as the Sandy Fire approaches, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

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)

CAIRO (AP) — Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran on Sunday in a fresh bid to restart negotiations between Iran and the U.S., as the American military said it shot down two more Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz that threatened international maritime traffic.

The latest action came as the U.S. administration presses Iran to make a deal to end the war in the Middle East, which has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.

The heaviest fighting ended with a preliminary ceasefire on April 8, but the sides have not been able to agree on a long-term end to the war.

Fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah continued, meanwhile, despite last week's announcement that a U.S.-brokered ceasefire had been extended.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is in Tehran to deliver a message to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei from Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to Iranian state-run IRNA news agency.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was named the Islamic Republic’s ruler after his father was killed on the first day of the war on Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel lauched a bombardment campaign against Iran.

Naqvi met with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni late Saturday, and held talks Sunday morning with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to official Iranian media.

There were no details on the contents of the message. Pakistani authorities have said Islamabad, with support from regional countries including Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, has been working to help bridge differences between the United States and Iran and encourage efforts aimed at reducing tensions and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the new ceasefire in Lebanon, which was announced during U.S-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington last week, did not appear to be holding.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has rejected the U.S.-brokered deal and instead endorsed Iran’s demand that ending the war in Lebanon be part of the negotiations with the U.S.

Israel struck what it said were over 150 Hezbollah military sites over the weekend, including rocket launchers and command centers, across southern Lebanon.

Early Sunday, Israel identified at least five projectiles launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel, which were intercepted or fell in open areas. Hezbollah did not immediately claim to have fired projectiles at Israel. However, the militant group acknowledged it attacked Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the Israeli military said.

The fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south in its latest ground invasion, threatens efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for oil and gas. Its closure has jolted the world economy.

Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extend to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, wants to press ahead with Israel’s offensive until he considers Hezbollah no longer poses a threat.

Lebanon’s army commander, Gen. Rodolphe Haikal, headed to Pakistan Saturday at the invitation of Pakistan’s army chief. The Lebanese army gave no further details and did not say whether it is related to Pakistan’s mediation between Iran and the U.S.

The U.S. military said Saturday that it had shot down several Iranian missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies, and struck some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response.

“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” U.S. Central Command said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts U.S. forces in Kuwait, and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

The U.S. military said there were no reports of harm to U.S. personnel.

Earlier in the month, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens.

The U.S. military has kept up its blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s grip on the strait, a crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments.

Energy prices have spiked, posing political problems for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of midterm congressional elections in November.

Chehayeb reported from Beirut and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel.

A man walks past anti-U.S. graffiti painted on the wall of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

People walk under a banner showing portraits of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, and the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)