Fire at a glance (numbers)
- Incident Name:
- State:
- Lead Agency:
- Size (acres):
- Percent Contained:
- Estimate of Containment:
- Personnel:
- Structures Destroyed:
Highway, Sequoia, NF. IMT 2 (Mills) Five miles southwest of Bodfish, CA. Tall grass and brush. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering.
June 25, 2017 at 8:42 AM
No new information
June 23, 2017 at 7:46 AM
Firefighters continued hand line construction and mop up operations and were able to hold and improve containment lines around the fire. In order to mitigate extreme exposure, crews began suppression tactics during cooler early morning hours. Suppression repair operations have begun and excess resources are being demobilized as appropriate. There is no anticipated fire spread.
Rancheria Road is now open. Highway 178 is open to all traffic, with only one westbound lane open throughout the length of the fire line. The westbound lane closure was lifted last night at 7:00 pm. Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for firefighters along the highway.
June 21, 2017 at 9:07 AM
Firefighters worked through extreme temperatures yesterday and were successful in increasing containment lines. Interior burning of vegetation was observed within the fire perimeter throughout the evening. Crews will continue to construct control lines along the eastern flank of the fire.
Rancheria Road will be closed due to fire operations. Highway 178 is open to traffic with only one westbound lane closed throughout the length of the fireline. Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for firefighters along the highway.
Temperatures remain above normal with lower relative humidity levels dominating the area. Extreme heat is expected to stay in the area throughout the week. Due to the heat and steep terrain firefighter safety remains a top priority during fire operations.
The Sequoia National Forest will be conducting prescribed burning operations at Camp 9 and Engineer Point today, June 21 and tomorrow June 22nd. Prescribed fires are conducted when weather, fuel moisture, and air quality conditions are within prescriptions to safely accomplish the project conditions. The prescribed burns are being conducted for the overall planning process of the fireworks presentation for Independence Day. Expect to see smoke in these areas in the early morning.
June 20, 2017 at 9:09 PM
Firefighters made good progress at building and holding containment lines throughout the day. Crews will continue with line construction and mop up. Fixed wing and rotary aircraft will continue assistance with dropping water and retardant.
H
ighway 178 has been reopened, with only one westbound lane. Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for firefighters along the highway.
Concern is for firefighter safety due to the heat and steep terrain with unstable footing. Safety messaging continues to focus in on being aware of terrain and staying hydrated.
The Sequoia National Forest would like to remind the public that there will be prescribed burning operations at Camp 9 and Engineer Point. Expect to see smoke in these areas.
The Incident Command Post (ICP) is located at Woodrow Wallace Middle School in Isabella.
The South Central Sierra Interagency Management Team assumed control of the fire at 1800 hours on June 19, 2017.
June 20, 2017 at 2:04 PM
Firefighters made good progress at building and holding containment lines throughout the night. Crews will continue to build handline along the eastern flank above Bradshaw Creek. Fixed wing and rotary aircraft are assisting with dropping water and retardant.
Highway 178 is open to through traffic with only one lane westbound. Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for firefighters along the highway.
Concern is for firefighter safety due to the heat and steep terrain with unstable footing. Temperatures remain above normal with lower relative humidity levels dominating the area. Extreme heat is expected to stay in the area throughout the week.
The Sequoia National Forest would like to remind the public that there will be prescribed burning operations at Camp 9 and Engineer Point on June 21 and 22nd. Expect to see smoke in theses area in the early morning.
The Incident Command Post (ICP) is located at Woodrow Wallace Middle School in Isabella.
The South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team assumed control of the fire at 1800 June 19, 2017.
June 19, 2017 at 3:41 PM
The Highway Fire, on the Kern River Ranger District, continues to burn into a second day. The Fire was reported at approximately 2:22 yesterday afternoon, Sunday, June 18, 2017, burning on Forest Service land, located off Highway 178, west of Borel Road. The cause of the Highway Fire is under investigation.
The Highway Fire is burning in a north to northeast direction and has presently burned 1,541 acres. The increase in acreage overnight has reduced the containment to 10%.
South Central Sierra Team (Mills) has been ordered and will be taking command of the fire.
Black Gulch south and north are both closed and have been evacuated. Pending areas closures towards Rancheria Road should be expected.
Over 400 firefighting personnel are on scene from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Kern County Fire Department. Assisting the effort are resources from the by California Highway Patrol, California Department of Transportation and Kern County Sheriff.
Resources on scene include 6 air tankers, 4 air attack planes, 5 helicopters, 13 hand crews, 20 engines, 2 water tenders, and 4 dozers. Personnel from the Bureau of Land Management and Kern County Fire Department are assisting the U.S. Forest Service in fire suppression activities. Additional resources are on order.
Special concerns are for fire fighter and public safety. The Forest Service has asked the public to be aware of dipping sites on Isabella Lake and the Lower Kern River. It is extremely dangerous to be under the aircraft and in the path of the helicopter water bucket loads.
If utilizing the Old Kern Canyon Road, be aware of the congestion and the large boulder in the eastbound lane. Please use caution.
Further updates will be released as the incident develops.
June 19, 2017 at 1:10 PM
Black Gulch No. & So. evacuated and closed.
June 19, 2017 at 11:57 AM
Drop in percent contained is due to fire growth overnight.California Highway Patrol, Cal-Trans and Kern County Sheriff assisting, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Kern Co. Fire Dept. firefighting resources.
June 19, 2017 at 7:49 AM
Black Gulch Campground North was closed due to the fire, there are no evacuations in place at this time.
June 19, 2017 at 7:23 AM
Hwy 178 traffic being diverted to the old Kern Canyon Road – which is receiving heavier than normal traffic due to the fire. The Old Kern Canyon road has a vehicle size boulder in the eastbound lane – use extreme caution.
June 18, 2017 at 8:14 PM
The Highway Fire has forced the temporary closure of Highway 178 southwest of Lake Isabella. The fire, discovered at 2:22 p.m., has burned an estimated 500 acres on the Kern River Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. Traffic is being detoured onto Highway 218, east of Highway 178. There are no evacuations in place at this time.
Resources on scene include 6 air tankers, 4 air attack planes, 5 helicopters, 13 hand crews, 20 engines, 2 water tenders, and 4 dozers. Personnel from the Bureau of Land Management and Kern County Fire Department are assisting the U.S. Forest Service in fire suppression activities. The cause of the Highway Fire is under investigation.
June 18, 2017 at 7:43 PM
Extreme rate of spread
High potential for movement and spread
No structure threat at this time