Campus Alert Archive
CSUCI

Hill Fire Forces Evacuation of 1,200 Residents from CSUCI as Flames Erupt in Thousand Oaks

CAwildfireemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On November 8, 2018, the Hill Fire ignited in the Hill Canyon area near Thousand Oaks at approximately 2:03 PM PST, prompting a mandatory evacuation of the entire CSUCI campus 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.

Alerts
4
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
California State University Channel Islands
Public Masters · CA
~7,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

4 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction231 chars
CSUCI EMERGENCY ALERT: A fire has been reported near campus. The campus has been ordered to evacuate. Please proceed to evacuate the campus and University Glen immediately. Do not delay. Follow evacuation routes away from the fire.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The Hill Fire originated at 2:03 PM PST in the Hill Canyon area of Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park, placing it dangerously close to the CSUCI campus in Camarillo
University Glen is the residential community adjacent to the CSUCI campus that houses students, faculty, and staff
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction254 chars
CSUCI UPDATE: Campus remains under mandatory evacuation. All classes, activities, and events are cancelled until further notice. The Hill Fire continues to burn in the area. Do not attempt to return to campus. Monitor csuci.edu/emergencyinfo for updates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The Woolsey Fire also ignited at 2:25 PM PST the same day in the Simi Hills, compounding the wildfire threat across Ventura County
The campus closure affected all university operations including research and administrative functions
UPDATEEmail
Verified verbatimCSUCI Emergency Alert archive page for the November 8, 2018 campus evacuation353 chars
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.
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
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction259 chars
CSUCI UPDATE: The mandatory evacuation order for CSUCI and University Glen has been lifted. Campus will begin the process of reopening. Please continue to monitor air quality conditions and check csuci.edu/emergencyinfo for the schedule of resumed operations.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The five-day campus closure from November 8 through November 13 was one of the longest wildfire-related closures in CSU system history
Context

Background

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 near Thousand Oaks, driven by strong Santa Ana winds. The 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 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 in nearby Thousand Oaks, creating an unprecedented compounding of emergencies for the region.
Analysis

Key Findings

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 unique wildfire vulnerability compared to urban campuses
The simultaneous Hill Fire, Woolsey Fire, and Borderline shooting created a compound disaster scenario that tested regional emergency response capacity
Outcome
No injuries reported on campus. Approximately 1,200 residents evacuated. Campus closed through November 13. Mandatory evacuation orders lifted by November 13, 2018.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Campus closure due to fire - CSUCI Emergency Alert
    csuci.edu
  2. Source
    Woolsey Fire - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
  3. News
    Hill Fire & Woolsey Fire Map - Heavy.com
    heavy.com
  4. Official
    Information Alert: Santa Ana Winds and Fires - CSUCI News
    csuci.edu
Tags
wildfireweatherevacuationcaliforniahill-firewoolsey-firesanta-ana-windscampus-closureair-quality
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion