Officials estimate city expenses related to the Simi Valley fire will total about $300,000, all of which they will submit for federal reimbursement.

The figure, released Friday, drew an audible sigh of relief from City Hall, which racked up a $15.2 million bill for damage and expenses after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

The amount includes overtime for police and other city workers, food, supplies such as face masks and other emergency needs. Unlike the earthquake, the fire caused no damage to city buildings, roads and water and sewer systems.

"By and large this was a limited emergency," said Randy White, the city's emergency services coordinator.

White believes the city's extensive advanced planning paid off this week.

"From my perspective, the big picture was accomplished," he said. "At times communication could be better, but overall we did well."

As flames advanced quickly toward Simi Valley on the afternoon of Oct. 25, the city set up an emergency command center in a large room at the police department. In a matter of hours, all city departments mobilized into action for their assigned tasks, White said.

Police set up roadblocks in neighborhoods affected by the fire and kept a watchful eye for citizens putting themselves in harm's way.

The community services department lined up city buses along Los Angeles Avenue for use in the event of a major evacuation. The department also organized the delivery of 1,000 meals for weary firefighters Sunday morning, as well as food for volunteers.

Public works crews were on hand to monitor the city's water and sewer systems. Public Works Director Tim Nanson said the city's pump station occasionally relied on generator power but never stopped working. Some 6,000 gallons of fuel were available in case of a long-term power outage.

White said he was particularly proud of the job done by trained citizen community emergency response teams. They were dispatched to affected neighborhoods to relay information to residents about evacuation procedures.

Some residents complained that emergency information was not broadcast fast enough on the city's AM radio station, 530, White said, noting that any delays were because officials wanted to verify all the information first.

"The worst thing you could do is put bad information out," White said.