The rumor mill is churning as the investigation continues into the cause of Erskine Fire, a deadly blaze that explosively spread and destroyed more than 200 homes in the Kern River Valley.
"I heard a power line blew into a tree from the wind and sparked, that's the most prevalent one," a clerk at the local Vons said.
A man at a nearby church said he heard a man walked out to Erskine Creek Road near Apollo Way and said he lost everything, his home and such, before the plume of smoke was visible.
Another resident said he heard arson investigators found things that someone used to start the fire.
Others believe it started at Kern River Archers.
"It started, looked to be like a porter potty, because of the black smoke. Before we know it, it came out of the circle and hit a tree. When it hit the tree, wow, it just went up," Linda Good said.
Good lives near the archery club and said a friend came up her driveway blaring his horn Thursday afternoon. She said she came out and saw a plume of smoke coming from the club and ran over with shovels and started trying to put it out.
"It just consumed us, it was so quick," Good said.
Then a few hours later, she said a young man, who is known in the community for doing drugs, came out with burned hands.
"Do I think it was started by somebody, absolutely," Good said.
23ABC called both the Kern County Sheriff's Office and Kern County Fire to verify Good's story, but have not received a call back.
Kern River Archers is closed until further notice. 23ABC reached out to the club for a comment and have not received a call back.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by KCFD. In Lake Isabella, the focus now, is on rebuilding and getting back to normal.
"Every time I hear a helicopter, I think fire. Every time I hear a siren, you still think uh-oh," Good said.
