KERN RIVER VALLEY — It was the perfect storm: high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds fueling the Borel Fire. In just nine days, the fire erupted into the largest blaze in Kern County history.
- As the fire nears 60,000 acres, some of the firefighters working to suppress the flames are doing so in their own neighborhoods.
- Cliff Peet has worked for KCFD for 20 years. When the Borel Fire sparked, he was called in thanks to his expertise of the area as a resident of Walker Basin.
It was the perfect storm: high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds fueling the Borel Fire. In just nine days, the fire erupted into the largest blaze in Kern County history.
As the fire nears 60,000 acres, some of the firefighters working to suppress the flames are doing so in their own neighborhoods.
"It's a much different feeling than when you're in a neighboring county or community,” said Kern County firefighter Cliff Peet. “It really hits close to home."
Peet has worked for KCFD for 20 years. When the Borel Fire sparked, he was called in thanks to his expertise of the area as a resident of Walker Basin.
"I live about eight miles south off here and the day of the fire I got woken up at five in the morning,” he said.
Even though crews are making progress we're not out of the woods yet.
"Mother Nature still had the upper hand when this fire started,” said Kern County Fire’s Andrew Freeborn. “Recognize that we might be back in red flag conditions again, and because of that everyone needs to go ahead and put yesterday behind you. You need to start fresh today.”
The fire making its way east, pushed by wind speeds upwards of 20 miles an hour.
"When you look at that stand of trees that were between the courthouse and the school [in Havilah] all those trees were just snapped like twigs,” Freeborn said. “That's how brutal those winds were.”
While it bulldozed through the community of Havilah in a matter of days crews were quick to get containment lines established.
"Everything lines up because this fire had an extraordinary benefit from the fact that a lot of resources were able to divert to this from the trout and long fire,” said Freeborn.
Many of the crews working to suppress the Borel Fire are going on three weeks of firefighting due to the complex created by the Trout and Long fires.
While progress with the fire has resulted in a reduction to some evacuation warnings and orders, this weekend's rising temperatures leaves conditions up in the air. Which is why officials ask residents to be mindful when a warning or order is issued.
"We're here to protect lives, but it goes to show that if individuals chose on their own not to follow evacuation warnings, evacuation orders, they're actually impacting the ability for fire fighters to stop the fire,” Freeborn said.
As skeleton crews are left to mop up hots spots in the wake of the flames, it opens more resources to move to areas still under active threat.
"It's exhausting but as soon as I knew my house was safe and I knew my family was emotionally good I really wanted to get back and help my community,” Peet said.
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