KERN RIVER VALLEY, Calif. (KERO) — Clinica Sierra Vista announced Friday afternoon that they were closing their Kern River Valley location due to the French Fire.
In a statement, Clinica Sierra Vista said that they were closing their location at 67 Evans Rd in Wofford Heights "until further notice due to concerns related to the French Fire burning in the area."
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The French Fire continues to grow near Lake Isabella with over 4,200 acres burned. Evacuation warnings have already been issued for areas near Wofford Heights, as well as Black Gulch, north of Highway 178.
"This is a rapidly evolving situation and we are monitoring the latest updates as we work to protect our patients and staff," said Stacy Ferreira, Clinica Sierra Vista Chief Executive Officer. "This is a scary situation for our patients and families living in Wofford Heights, we are actively working to get the latest information to our patients to ensure their safety."
"This is just an abundance of caution. You know living in California we get used to these types of things, evacuation orders, but our clinic is really in the heart of Wofford Heights, right in the area that's been suggested to be on alert. so we decided to close it, send our staff home as well as let our patients know they will be scheduled at a further date," explained Clinica Sierra Vista spokesperson Tim Callahan.
Callahan says that the closure of the clinic is not just due to the fire but also due to the poor air quality and they don't want people coming out with the poor air.
"The valley has been suffering poor air. The Kern River Valley has been suffering from poor air. It's a good reminder that we are in an ever-evolving wildfire season where situations change, air quality changes. If you have a condition that's exasperated by poor air quality we encourage you to reach out to us, we have physicians standing by, we have clinics open in the valley that can assess those needs. so we just want people to be aware of that because we are in those very unhealthy air levels right now."
Clinic Sierra Vista says patients are encouraged to call (760) 376-2276 with any questions about existing appointments. They hope to reopen on Tuesday, August 24th.
