KERN RIVER VALLEY, Calif. (KERO) — The Little Fire that ignited Friday afternoon after a crash sent a pickup truck off Highway 178 west of Miracle Hot Springs has grown to more than 2,500 acres, prompting evacuations and road closures.
The crash occurred around 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, when the truck caught fire and spread flames into nearby brush, officials said. Highway 178 and part of Racheria Road near Highway 155 were closed over the weekend, though portions of the highway reopened after storms swept away the Old Kern Canyon Road detour.
The U.S. Forest Service said the fire remained at zero percent containment as of the weekend but credited recent storms with slowing its spread.
“The rain has really helped the fire,” spokesperson Amy Masi said, while cautioning that strong winds could also impact helicopter support.
Crews from Kern County Fire, Cal Fire and incident management teams from Tulare County have been dispatched to the Little Fire. The Tulare County Incident Management Team is assisting with coordination, allowing local firefighters to redirect resources to new lightning-caused blazes.
Kern County officials reported more than 1,000 lightning strikes over the weekend, some of which sparked smaller fires that diverted crews.
“When we get new initial attacks, that enables us to go take those fires out real quick, contain them, and then focus back on any of the other initial attacks,” Masi said.
The storms also triggered mudslides along the Borel Fire burn scar, closing Old Kern Canyon Road. Officials said the rugged terrain and unstable weather patterns are complicating containment.
“The terrain is what’s the difficult part,” Masi said. “We’re very confident that we have good progress, but as more resources come in, we’ll get more.”
Authorities urged drivers to use caution on Highway 178 as firefighting and road crews remain active in the area.
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