UPDATE: According to Kern County Fire, the Peak Fire has burned 1,600 acres with 5% containment. All evacuation warnings are still in place. Fire crews will be working through the night on this fire.
UPDATE: Kern County fire crews are working to contain a wildfire that is burning near Havilah. According to officials the Peak Fire is currently at 1,400 acres and is zero percent contained.
The Kern County Fire Department has issued an evacuation warning for residents near Walker Basin and Skinner Flat areas. And the local Red Cross is opening a temporary evacuation point at the Lake Isabella Senior Center located at 6409 Lake Isabella Boulevard.
Not only are Kern County firefighters battling the flames but assisting agencies include CAL FIRE and U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have come out to help. There are currently two evacuation orders in place and Kern County firefighter Andrew Freeborn says this fire could last for days.
"The weather will play a significant factor. They will continue to monitor and adjust the strategies and tactics but as of right now this fire is going to go for several days and you will see several days worth of firefighters out here trying to reach 100 percent containment."
Brenda Williams who lives near where the fire is burning says she hopes her home isn’t damaged by the fire, and is hoping the memories in her house continue.
"Just to make sure that if it’s burnt it’s burnt. God willing it’s not but I'm just hoping it's not," said resident Brenda Williams. "There are so many memories up there. We have had so many meetings there and everything/"
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but Freeborn says in the last several days they have fought a number of fires that were started by lightning.
UPDATE: The Peak Fire is now approximately 1,400 acres, according to fire officials. Additional information from InciWeb, "an interagency all-risk incident information management system."
The BLM and Kern County Fire Department are in Unified Command on the Peak Fire, which has burned approximately 950 acres of grass and brush south of Lake Isabella between Walker Basin and the Kern River Valley, near the community of Havilah. This wildland fire is 0% contained.
Evacuation Warning: The Kern County Fire Department has issued an Evacuation Warning for residents near Walker Basin, Skinner Flat and the community of Claraville. Please pay close attention to fire information and be prepared to leave the area at a moment’s notice, if it becomes necessary.
Evacuation Center: An evacuation center has been set up at: Kern River Valley Senior Center, 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd., Lake Isabella, CA 93240
Animal Evacuations: Animal Services will assist with sheltering companion animals at the Evacuation Center.
If you have physical limitations and require evacuation assistance, please call the Aging & Adult Services hotline at 1-855-264-6565.
UPDATE: Map of Peak Fire puts it closer to Tehachapi and Highway 58 than Lake Isabella.
UPDATE: For the latest information on wildfires, be sure to sign up for ReadyKern.
ReadyKern Overview
Kern County has implemented ReadyKern, a state-of-the-art emergency notification system to alert residents and businesses about natural disasters and other crises. The new emergency notification system enables Kern County to provide essential information quickly in a variety of situations, such as earthquakes, severe weather, fires, floods, or evacuation of buildings or neighborhoods.
How ReadyKern Works
The process begins when Kern County issues a message about a potential safety hazard or concern. Messages will be sent to all standard voice and text communication devices, including land line phones, cell phones, e-mail, and more. If you don't confirm receipt of the message, the system will try to reach your second contact number or email. The system will continue trying to contact you until it receives a confirmation from you.
To receive important communications from Kern County, residents and business owners must register the voice and text communication devices where they wish to receive messages.
Sign Up!
UPDATE: From Kern County Fire Department: Additional Evacuation Warning has been put in place for the community of Claraville. American Red Cross Central California Region has opened a Temporary Evacuation Point at Kern River Valley Senior Center located at 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd., Lake Isabella, CA 93240.
UPDATE: According to Kern County Fire, the Peak Fire is now approximately 1,400 acres with 0% containment. Current evacuation orders remain in place.
According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts in the area are roughly 20 mph but those winds should be decreasing by 7 p.m. No rain is expected for the foreseeable future.
Crews are battling a fire north of Walker Basin Road west of Piute Mountain Road south of Lake Isabella. The Peak Fire is estimated to be about 1,400 acres at this time.
TIMELAPSE OF PEAK FIRE:
An evacuation warning has been issued for residents near Walker Basin & Skinner Flat. A temporary evacuation center has been set up at Lake Isabella Senior Center located at 6409 Lake Isabella Blvd.
This is a developing story. More information as it becomes available.
