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Forest reopens with Bull Fire 95% contained
UPDATE:
9:40 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2
As of 8 a.m. today, the Bull Fire is 95 percent contained at 16,442 acres. The forest closure was lifted at 9 a.m., including all roads within the area. However, developed campgrounds will remain closed until safety checks are completed.
8 a.m. Friday, July 30
The Bull Fire is 20 percent contained, Kern County Fire Department spokesman Sean Collins said Thursday evening.
The blaze has now consumed 16,074 acres.
“It would be safe to say we’re making progress,” Collins said. “The weather and the temperatures are a little bit in our favor, and the wind has died down.”
Collins said most of the fire’s activity Thursday occurred on the east side of the river heading toward Cannell Meadow, where it burned chaparral and grass amid rocky outcrops.
“It’s very difficult to extinguish,” he said. “Because of the terrain, it’s sometimes unsafe to get people down there.”
Collins said 2,060 personnel from various agencies are working to extinguish the blaze, which is now solely under the U.S. Forest Service’s command. Some of the firefighters are from as far away as Arizona and New Mexico, he said.
The eight Air Tankers working the Bull Fire have dropped 231,000 gallons of retardant since Monday. They have been flying 97 hours, and refueling at the Porterville Municipal Airport.
11:40 a.m. Thursday, July 29
A task force consisting of law enforcement officers from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Kern County Fire Department and the Kern County Sheriff's Department has been formed to investigate the cause of the Bull Fire.
"The task force is continuously working, following up on multiple reports from local citizens. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined," the Kern County Fire Department wrote in a statement.
Anyone with information pertaining to the start of the Bull Fire is encouraged to call the the department's tip line, toll free at 1-877-347-3847
8:35 p.m. Wednesday, July 28
The fire has consumed 15,982 acres with 12 percent containment. Cloudy conditions helped the 2,249 firefighters to extinguish more of the burning vegetation.
“It’s now moving through grass and brush and into oak and pine,” fores fire spokeswoman Cindy Thill said. “As we move into terrain that we can handle, it will only get easier from here.”
Porterville Fire Department spokesman Dan Holloway said some, if not all, of the Porterville firefighters are headed home.
Noon, Wednesday, July 28
The Kern County Fire Department is reporting that the West Fire is now 25 percent contained at 1,400 acres. A Cal Fire Type 1 Management Team will be transitioning over at noon.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to arrive at the Command Post at 1:00 p.m. at Tehachapi High School, 801 Dennison Rd.
There are approximately 800 personnel assigned to the incident.
11:05 a.m., Wednesday, July 28
Spokesman Dan Holloway said Porterville firefighters are resting after a 14-hour shift that ended at 8 a.m. today. They spent the night protecting structures along the Kern River.
"They were protecting homes where the fire had already come through; putting out hot spots and making sure nothing rekindled," Holloway said.
The fire is reportedly moving north into the wildlands and away from populated areas. As it moves deeper into the forest, firefighters will face much steeper and tougher terrain.
"The growth potential is still very high," Holloway said.
According to Holloway, Porterville Fire Department personnel typically protect structures when called out on interagency blazes, but there is the chance that they'll battle the wildfire as it spreads throughout Sequoia National Forest.
When Holloway spoke with the seven Porterville men this morning they were eating breakfast at the Incident Command Post at Kern Valley High School in Lake Isabella, he said, and were unsure whether they will be asked to remain on the Bull Fire.
8:10 a.m. Wednesday, July 28
The West Fire in Tehachapi, which is diverting resources from the Bull Fire in the Riverkern area, grew overnight.
The Kern County Fire Department reports the acreage of the West Fire at 1,230. There are approximately 250 personnel assigned to the incident, including Kern County Fire, Los Angeles County Fire, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire.
The Kern County Fire Department is also reporting the Bull Fire at 15,586 acres with 5 percent containment. The community of Fairveiw has been evacuated, but residents of Camp Owens and Riverkern were allowed back to their homes at 8:00 a.m.
Two firefighters have sustained minor injuries.
The two fires compelled Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday to proclaim a state of emergency in Kern County.
8:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 27
A fast-moving fire near the Kern County community of Tehachapi has reportedly destroyed 30-40 homes, and is pulling resources from the Bull Fire, which has doubled in size to 11,000 acres.
Containment is back to zero.
1:47 p.m. Tuesday, July 27
As the hot afternoon sun beats down on the dry brush fueling the Bull Fire, officials are now estimating the blaze is at least 6,000 acres, with a high rate of spread.
The 1,000 personnel on scene are not only facing steep, rocky terrain, but also mountain lions, snakes and poison oak, forest fire spokeswoman Cindy Thill said.
"It's cooking," she said. "We expect it to be very active today, just like it was yesterday ... we're not even talking about full containment right now."
The west flank of the fire is moving north, and the east flank is creeping toward the western side of the Kern Plateau, according to Thill.
An incident command team, which specializes in tackling huge fires like this one, will take charge of the attack at 6 p.m. this evening. In the meantime, fresh crews have replaced firefighters who worked throughout the night.
Power is still out in the Riverkern community, where six homes are confirmed destroyed, and possibly four other outbuildings.
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11:40 a.m. Tuesday, July 27
Seven Porterville firefighters are arriving in Kern County to battle the unchecked Bull Fire.
According to spokesman Dan Holloway, the Porterville Fire Department received a call this morning for an immediate need for help. The department subsequently sent Engine No. 72 with Lt. Mike McGill, engineer Aaron Brunelle and firefighter David Soto to Highway 99 and Merced Avenue to converge with four other engines that will form a strike team.
They left at 9:30 a.m.
The department also sent its lime green Office of Emergency Services engine with Capt. David LaPere, engineer Kirk Lowery, firefighter Kevin Kim and firefighter Daniel Ramirez to a training facility at Olive Drive and Highway 99 in Bakersfield.
Holloway said the crews will face weather conditions that are "not good at all." Temperatures are expected to climb to 100 degrees today in the Riverkern area, with winds blowing between 15 and 20 mph and 6 percent humidity.
According to his latest information, there at least 688 personnel on scene.
10:53 a.m. Tuesday, July 27
Forest Service spokesman Cody Norris confirmed a few minutes ago that the fire jumped into Tulare County at about 4 p.m. yesterday.
The fire is roaring through the community of Riverkern, which straddles the Tulare and Kern county lines.
An informational briefing is scheduled for noon today.
8:50 a.m. Tuesday, July 27
The Kern County Fire Department is reporting that the fire has consumed 5,042 acres and is now 5 percent contained.
There are approximately 550 personnel on scene who are being assisted by 14 helicopters and 8 airtankers.
Last night, crews battled to save structures in the Burma Road area, but the fire destroyed six residences in Riverkern. Firefighters continue to provide structure protection. An additional 1,200 structures are threatened.
The California Highway Patrol has a closure in place on Mountain Highway 99 from Kernville to Fairview (16 miles up river). There is also a closure on Burlando Road - open to residents only.
Cherry Hill Road and Horse Meadow campground will be closed, with access to residents only. California Management advises people with reservations, Tuesday through Thursday, will be relocated to a lake camping area and those with a Friday through Sunday reservations will either be relocated or cancelled.
All private and commercial rafting on the upper Kern River is also cancelled until further notice due to safety concerns as helicopters work out of the river.
6 p.m. Monday, July 26
Air attack units are being sent to the Peppermint Work Center in Ponderosa, elevation 7,200 feet in the mountains east of Porterville, to refuel.
At 5:30 p.m., the Kern County Fire Department posted an update on its Facebook page: “At this time we are asking residents in the Riverkern community and residents on Burma Road to evacuate. An evacuation center is being set up at the Senior Center at 6409 Lake Isabella Blvd.”
4:50 p.m. Monday, July 26
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST — The Tulare County unit of Cal Fire is sending crews to help battle a 1,000 plus acre fire burning along the Kern River.
According to spokesman Larry Pendarvis, although winds are blowing northwest, pushing the blaze away from Tulare County southeast, there are 5 engines and 4 handcrews from Tulare headed there now, with 2 air tankers and 1 helicopter from Porterville already dropping retardant.
Radio reports say Riverkern is surrounded by flames, with several structures lost. Flames are reportedly backing down towards Burlando Road. Power is also reportedly out in the area.
Riverkern is an unincorporated community in Kern County at an elevation of 2,795 feet, north of Kernville.
The Kern County Sheriff is evacuating residents and campers along the Kern River, including Camp Owens, up to Fairview Campground.
