{
  "id": "2018-11-08-cal-state-channel-islands-wildfire",
  "slug": "cal-state-channel-islands-wildfire-2018-11-08",
  "institution": {
    "name": "California State University Channel Islands",
    "shortName": "CSUCI",
    "state": "CA",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "enrollment": 7000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2018-11-08",
    "endDate": "2018-11-13",
    "type": "wildfire",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Fast-moving wildfire forces mandatory evacuation of about 1,200 campus residents",
    "headlinePublic": "Fast-moving wildfire forces mandatory evacuation of about 1,200 campus residents",
    "summary": "On November 8, 2018, the [Hill Fire](https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/The-Fires-of-2018.aspx) ignited in the Hill Canyon area near Thousand Oaks at approximately 2:03 PM PST, prompting a mandatory evacuation of the entire [CSUCI campus](https://www.csuci.edu/emergencyinfo/updates/2018-11-08-campus-evacuation.htm) and the University Glen residential community. Approximately 1,200 residents were evacuated from campus. The campus remained closed through November 13 due to the fire and ongoing poor air quality conditions.",
    "outcome": "No injuries reported on campus. Approximately 1,200 residents evacuated. Campus closed through November 13. Mandatory evacuation orders lifted by November 13, 2018.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 2:30 PM PST on November 8, 2018",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from CSUCI emergency information page and social media posts",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Evening of November 8, 2018",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from CSUCI emergency information page",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "November 9, 2018",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "The CSUCI campus continues to remain closed and under mandatory evacuation until further notice due to the Hill Fire and ongoing poor air quality on campus. All classes, activities and events, are canceled until further notice. Unless CSUCI employees are specifically instructed by a supervisor to report to the campus, please do not come to the campus.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.csuci.edu/emergencyinfo/updates/2018-11-08-campus-evacuation.htm",
      "sourceDescription": "CSUCI Emergency Alert archive page for the November 8, 2018 campus evacuation",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim from CSUCI's official Emergency Alert archive page for the November 9, 2018 campus-evacuation status update",
        "Air quality across Ventura County deteriorated significantly as both the Hill Fire and Woolsey Fire continued to burn",
        "Note the unusual comma placement in 'classes, activities and events,', preserved as written on the official page"
      ],
      "characterCount": 353
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "November 13, 2018",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from CSUCI emergency information page",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "The Hill Fire was one of two major wildfires that erupted in Ventura County on November 8, 2018. The fire started at [2:03 PM PST in the Hill Canyon area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolsey_Fire) near Thousand Oaks, driven by strong Santa Ana winds. The [Woolsey Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolsey_Fire) ignited just 22 minutes later in the Simi Hills. CSUCI's campus in Camarillo sits in a rural area surrounded by open grasslands, making it particularly vulnerable to wind-driven wildfires. The [mandatory evacuation](https://www.csuci.edu/emergencyinfo/updates/2018-11-08-campus-evacuation.htm) displaced approximately 1,200 residents from the campus and University Glen community. The Hill Fire burned approximately 4,531 acres before it was fully contained, while the more destructive Woolsey Fire burned over 96,000 acres and destroyed 1,643 structures across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The fires occurred on the same day as the [Borderline Bar and Grill shooting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Thousand_Oaks_shooting) in nearby Thousand Oaks, creating simultaneous, overlapping emergencies for the region.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The five-day campus closure illustrates how wildfire events can extend far beyond the initial evacuation, particularly when air quality remains hazardous",
    "CSUCI's rural campus location surrounded by open grasslands creates wildfire exposure that urban campuses generally do not face",
    "The simultaneous Hill Fire, Woolsey Fire, and Borderline shooting created a compound disaster scenario that tested regional emergency response capacity"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Campus closure due to fire - CSUCI Emergency Alert",
      "url": "https://www.csuci.edu/emergencyinfo/updates/2018-11-08-campus-evacuation.htm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Woolsey Fire - Wikipedia",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolsey_Fire",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "title": "Hill Fire & Woolsey Fire Map - Heavy.com",
      "url": "https://heavy.com/news/2018/11/hill-fire-woolsey-camarillo-map-evacuations-size/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Information Alert: Santa Ana Winds and Fires - CSUCI News",
      "url": "https://www.csuci.edu/news/releases/vc-wind-and-fires-241106.htm",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "wildfire",
    "weather",
    "evacuation",
    "california",
    "hill-fire",
    "woolsey-fire",
    "santa-ana-winds",
    "campus-closure",
    "air-quality"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}