RSS Feed
Print Story
E-mail Story
Spontaneous combustion of manure starts 200-acre blaze
| Sunday, Jan 7 2007 11:15 PM
Last Updated: Sunday, Jan 7 2007 11:15 PM
The spontaneous combustion of a manure pile sparked a blaze that grew to about 200 acres Sunday, fire officials said.
BAKERSFIELD.COM HOT TOPICS:
Loading Stories
Advertisement
No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened.
The blaze, dubbed the Red Star Fire because of its origins at the Red Star Fertilizer Co., was 65 percent contained, said Capt. Neil Black of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire was expected to be fully contained by late Sunday.
The blaze, which consisted of a main 175-acre fire and several smaller ones, was reported shortly before 5 a.m. It was partially burning in Prado Regional Park near Highway 71, the Prado Basin Park and the Mill Creek Drainage basin, an area marked by willow trees and mixed brush.
A total of 400 firefighters, backed by four air tankers and several helicopters, battled the blaze complicated by winds gusts of 20 to 25 miles per hour blowing from the north and northeast.
Red flag warnings were in effect until 6 p.m. Monday.