KCFD calls in CalFire to help with 4 wildfires that burned parts of Kern over the weekend
After a slew of wildfires swept across parts of Kern and surrounding counties over the weekend, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection was called in Monday to help battle conflagrations burning locally.
One was the Rancho Fire, which started near Tejon Ranch around 3 p.m. Saturday, according to the agency better known as CalFire. The blaze led to evacuation orders affecting about 1,000 people in the Stallion Springs and Bear Valley Springs areas, according to a Kern County Fire Department news release Sunday.
The evacuation orders were later reduced to warnings, KCFD spokesman Jon Drucker said, adding that the fire burned 9,950 acres as of Monday morning and was 50% contained. He reported that no properties were lost to the blaze.
Meanwhile, Drucker noted, a home and an outbuilding burned in the White Fire, which CalFire said started around 11:45 a.m. Saturday. The fire burned 5,027 acres as of Monday morning and was 17% contained, according to an update by Drucker.
About 30 people were evacuated after the White Fire started in the Twin Lakes area. Drucker said the evacuation order remained in effect Monday morning. A fire camp was set up at Tehachapi High School for CalFire’s incident management team and KCFD’s efforts to fight the White Fire.
Another fire, the Laura Fire, broke out in Kern County around 1:35 p.m. Sunday near Cook Peak and Erskine Creek, according to CalFire. Drucker called it an “off-the-beaten path” fire that is difficult to fight.
The American Red Cross reported an evacuation center has been set up at the Lake Isabella Senior Center, 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd., for anyone affected by the Laura Fire.
As of Monday, Drucker said, 120 acres were burned by the Laura Fire, which he reported was 5% contained. He said the fire is on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management.
Another fire burning on Bureau of Land Management land is the Hurricane Fire. It began in San Luis Obispo County around 10:55 a.m. Saturday and spread to Kern County, according to CalFire. It said that the blaze burned 12,703 acres and was 75% contained as of Monday morning.
As fire crews from KCFD continue to work with partnering agencies, Drucker said he recommends that Kern County residents sign up for emergency notifications about fires in the area. He said the community can stay informed by checking ReadyKern updates on the fire department’s website or the Genesis Protect app.
Drucker also recommended that families continue to reduce fire hazards surrounding homes to protect their own property from wildfires.
Freelance reporter Claudia Elliott for Tehachapi News contributed to this report.
