A new, wind-driven wildfirenortheast of Los Angeles forced an evacuation of the nearby Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and residential neighborhoods in the area early Wednesday morning, officials said.
At least 150 firefighters were battling the blaze called the Easy fire in Simi Valley, about 50 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, a Ventura County dispatcher said. Winds of about 30 mph were driving the flames.
The blaze was first reported at about 6 a.m. local time, and by 8 a.m. it had charred at least 250 acres, officials said.
"It's getting close up to the Reagan Library so we're conducting an evacuation," Simi Valley police Cmdr. Adam Darough told NBC News.
The library sits in the middle of a mandatory evacuation area in southeastern Ventura County that includes residential neighborhoods.
Classes were cancelled at nearby Moorpark College and at all public schools inMoorpark and Simi Valley.
The area's highways, State Routes 23 and 118, were largely closed due to the fires.
