Published Sunday, August 4, 2024, 2055 hours PT

(L) Photo Credit: Kern County Fire Department

A brush fire was reported earlier this evening with smoke visible on nearby cameras on Highway 178, west of Highway 174 in the Inyokern area in Kern County, California on August 4, 2024, around 1741 hours PT.

The fire behavior would quickly spread and become a ten-plus acre fire moving to the north/west area with a moderate to high rate of spread. Structures were then considered under threat while the fire was deemed to be located one mile from them, according to first-due units reporting into Dispatch.

Structure protection went into effect around 1818 hours and an evacuation order was put into place about twenty minutes later, with updated reports of fire still spreading at a moderate rate of spread. The fire now was considered to be listed as an eighty-acre wildfire.

Additional resources including three Type 1 tankers were ordered by Air Attack at 1848 hours, while later the fire now was mapped at 309 acres by FIRIS Intel 24 from above the fire line. It would again provide an update at 1946 hours with 368 acres but fire resources would get the fire knocked down and held it to a 471 acres fire and bring it to a 100% containment status at 2027 hours PT.

If not for the quick-thinking Fire Officials and fast response by fire resources/dispatchers, this fire could have easily run its course and become an even larger incident than it was.

A temporary shelter was opened at the Tehachapi Eduction Center located at 126 S. Snyder Avenue in Tehachapi, California 93561.