Kern County Fire officials released the following statement:
At 8:51 AM Wednesday, the Kern County Fire Department received a call for a house fire in the 1200 block of 8th Place in Wasco.A reinforced structure response was started by dispatchers.
The first arriving crew encountered a working fire in the living room. Crews made access by forcing open the front door and were able to quickly make a search of the home and extinguish the fire.
Nobody was home at the time of the fire.
The fire, however, did cause an estimated $60,000 in structural damage with an additional $15,000 in content loss. Two adults and four children have been displaced.
The American Red Cross is assisting with temporary housing. A closer examination of the structure revealed that there were no working smoke alarms within the home.
One smoke alarm was present, but it had been painted over and was not functioning.
KCFD reminds residents to have a working smoke alarm.
Test the smoke alarm monthly and change the batteries twice a year. Residents may also consider the switch to a newer model of smoke alarm with a lithium-ion power source that lasts 10 years.
