A major widening project began in 2008 to alleviate most of this congestion. Because of its desirable environment and location, property values appreciated more than 250% in less than ten years, primarily during the mid-1990s to early 2000s. On March 30, 2016, California Lutheran University and the NFL Rams team reached an agreement that allowed the team to have regular season training operations at CLU's campus in Thousand Oaks for the next two years. The Rams paid for two practice fields, paved parking, and modular buildings constructed on the northwestern corner of the campus. On November 7, 2018, a lone gunman killed 12 people in a mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill. The massive "Hill Fire" and "Woolsey Fire" began threatening the community, burning countless homes across Ventura and Los Angeles Counties and effectively shutting down Thousand Oaks, neighbouring areas, and the 101 Freeway as a vigil was held that evening at the Civic Center for residents who were still dealing with the shock and personal impact of the shooting. The fires would continue through almost the entire month of November charring almost 100,000 acres and consuming multiple homes in the region as it burned through Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, and Thousand Oaks, all the way to the Malibu coastline. In February 2019, in what was called a response to the Borderline Shooting, the highly controversial group Westboro Baptist Church demonstrated outside Thousand Oaks High School. Parents, students, faith communities and community members held a counter demonstration across the street during the event. The city of Thousand Oaks Is situated in the Conejo Valley in southeastern Ventura County, halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and 12 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. Conejo Valley lies at 900 feet; 55 of its 1,884 square miles are located within Thousand Oaks city limits. For comparison, the city is larger in area than Long Beach, CA, and 20 percent larger than San Francisco. Designated open-space nature areas occupy 34 percent of the city as of 2017 (15,194 acres). 928 acres of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is within the southern borders of the city. Thousand Oaks is within the Greater Los Angeles Area and is 38 miles west of Los Angeles. Malibu is located on the other side of the Santa Monica Mountains. Conejo Valley is bordered by the Santa Monica's to the south, Conejo Mountains to the west and north, and the Simi Hills to the northeast. Thousand Oaks has grown due to the incorporation of neighboring cities.