MARCIO SANCHEZ and GREGORY BULL
Associated Press
SIMI VALLEY (AP) — A new wildfire erupted Wednesday in wind-whipped Southern California, forcing the evacuation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and nearby homes, as both ends of the state struggled with blazes, dangerously gusty weather and deliberate blackouts.
The brush fire broke out just before dawn in the Simi Valley area north of Los Angeles and quickly grew to more than 970 acres (390 hectares), Ventura County officials said. They gave no immediate estimate of how many people were ordered to leave.
Library spokeswoman Melissa Giller said around midmorning that the hilltop museum was not damaged. She said that the flames came within about 30 yards (27 meters) of the property but that it was protected by aircraft droppi
