Sandy fire crew salvages family wedding ring amid Simi Valley ashes

Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times on May 22, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — Firefighters came to the aid of a family whose home was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire this week in Simi Valley.

A Los Angeles Fire Department crew sifted through rubble on the property and found a wedding ring, along with other precious belongings, authorities said in a news release. A video shared on social media showed the firefighters from Engine 85 returning the ring to its owner.

The agency was one of many across Southern California that assisted in responding to the Sandy fire, which ignited Monday, and spread quickly through dry brush. Police have said the fire may have been started by someone driving a tractor on their property who hit a rock and generated a spark.

The fire had burned 2,141 acres and was 40% contained as of Friday morning.

The blaze was one of several that started amid an offshore wind event, with four fires of 1,000 acres or more currently burning in Southern California. That level of activity may seem unusual for May, but experts say that, increasingly, that is no longer the case as climate change rolls back the start date of what’s traditionally been considered the peak fire season.