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'Nasty' weather conditions fueling Piute fire spread
| Tuesday, Jul 1 2008 11:50 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jul 2 2008 12:28 PM
Bakersfield resident Tom Roddy was worried Tuesday about something completely outside of his control.
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A home in Kelso Valley is seen in the foreground of the Piute Fire as it continues to burn northeast into the desert area Tuesday evening at sunset.
A firefighting helicopter flies from the Kernville heliport past the setting sun Tuesday evening near the Piute Fire, which has burned more than 11,000 acres.
The Piute Fire burns about seven miles up Erskine Creek Road, with fire equipment parked at Kern Valley High School in Lake Isabella, where the fire base camp is located. U.S. Forest Service hot shot crews head out to the fire after dinner at the fire camp. Kern County engines are lined up also and ready when needed.
Smoke and flames are seen from Kelso Valley Road, Tuesday evening from the Piute Fire, near Lake Isabella, which has burned more than 11,000 acres The cause is still under investigation.
Several U.S. Forest Service fire trucks loaded with firefighters are stationed in the Rite-Aid parking lot Monday morning in Lake Isabella as the Piute Incident continues to burn to the southeast. This crew is off the Cleveland National Forest in San Diego and were on the fire line most of the night. They were heading to Kern Valley High School to bed down at the fire camp.
Kern County Fire personnel have had a busy week, including Engine #70 as it heads to an assignment as the large column of smoke from the Piute incident is seen in the background Monday evening from Lake Isabella Blvd.
Wildfire.
His second home in the high country south of Isabella Lake was in the path of the Piute fire — and Roddy didn’t know if it would be there when he returned.
“One map I looked at shows the fire is about four miles away,” he said Tuesday. “But another one shows it’s already burning.”
It’s not just his property Roddy is concerned about.
Some folks live in the area full-time, he said, including an elderly woman who lives at Liebel Ranch, one of the areas recommended for evacuation on Monday.
“I hope they (fire officials) know she doesn’t have a phone,” Roddy said.
The Piute fire in the mountains east of Bakersfield has more than quadrupled in size since early Monday, and it’s probably going to get bigger before it’s contained, officials say.
The wildfire had burned more than 13,504 acres by 9 a.m. today, according to the Kern County Fire Department. The blaze was just 5 percent contained, a 6 percent decrease from Tuesday as the fire continues to expand.
The army of firefighters called in to battle the blaze stood at approximately 1,000, according to the county fire department. Six outbuildings and one abandoned cabin have been damaged or destroyed.
The fire began Saturday around 3 p.m. and by Monday morning had reached 2,500 acres. The cause is still under investigation.
On Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency in Kern County, a move that was expected to help mobilize additional state firefighting resources and personnel.
With hundreds of wildfires burning across the state, fire officials have been forced to pick their battles, routing scarce resources to those viewed as priority fires.
To date, the governor has declared a state of emergency for nine counties.
Officials are strongly advising residents in the path of the Piute fire to leave their homes and seek shelter in other areas.
“The term ‘recommended evacuation’ is an interesting use of words,” Owen said. “It really means it’s time to go.”
Firefighters expected to contain the fire by July 15. The fire so far has cost $2.5 million, according to KCFD.