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More evacuations in Piute fire area
| Friday, Jul 4 2008 9:14 PM
Last Updated: Saturday, Jul 5 2008 10:37 PM
The Piute fire still burned strong Saturday, with scorched acres totaling 21,478.
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After flying out of the Kernville heliport the K-MAX heavy lift helicopter picks up a bucket full of water in Bodfish area Friday and heads up to the Piute Fire that continues to burn.
A precautionary evacuation was issued Saturday for residents on Sorrel Peak Road south of the Piute Mountain Road intersection, along with residents west of Kelso Valley Road and east of the Sequoia National Forest boundary and people north and south of the Piute Mountain Road junction with the national forest boundary. This includes the Cortez Canyon community.
The shelter at the senior center at 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd. is on standby until it is needed by the residents affected by the evacuations, said Steve Rodriguez, director of operations and response for the Kern chapter of the American Red Cross, via e-mail.
If anyone is in need of emergency assistance the shelter will immediately open.
The fire, which started June 28, is 26 percent contained with damage totaling $7.9 million, according to a news release sent by the Kern County Fire Department. Firefighting personnel, totaling 1,267, are battling the blaze.
The fire continues to move east toward the Bright Star Wilderness Area driven by strong winds. There is no immediate threat to residences, the release said.
People visiting the area this weekend are advised to drive cautiously due to the high volume of traffic and fire equipment sharing the road.