Thousands under evacuation orders in southern California as wildfire threatens homes

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 (48km) north-west of Los Angeles . By Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than 2 sq miles of dry brush and destroyed at least one home, according to the Ventura county fire department. …