Shortly after 4:30am on Monday, the Kern County Fire Department received a report of a structure fire in the 1800 block of Niles Street.

First arriving crews encountered a 2,500 square foot, two-story marijuana dispensary business with smoke and flames visible. An interior search confirmed that the building was uninhabited by people, but several pet reptiles were rescued.

An aggressive attack was made to extinguish fire and protect exposures.  The flames were controlled in approximately fifteen minutes. Crews remained on scene to mop up, check for extension and investigate the cause.

Loss to the residence and contents was estimated to be approximately $60,000 with approximately $150,000-worth saved.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.