UPDATE: The Peak Fire is now at 2,000 acres burned and is now 10% contained.
The blaze started Wednesday close to the area scorched by the Stagecoach Fire a year ago. It's all taking place north of Walker Basin Road west of Piute Mountain Road.
Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Batallion Chief Andrew Kennison it started in a remote area just west of Fire Station 78 in the Walker Basin area and was difficult for crews to access.
UPDATE: The Peak Fire is now at 1,752 acres burned and remains at 5% contained as of Wednesday evening.
The Peak Fire continued to burn overnight after sparking Tuesday afternoon near Havilah in the Piute Mountains.
Crews worked through the night with assistance from CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. It has grown to 1600 acres and is currently 5% contained and the Kern County Fire Department says it may be days before the fire is 100% contained.
Local News
Crews battling Peak Fire near Havilah
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The weather is not helping with high temperatures and no rain in sight.
Evacuation orders are in place for residents in the area of Piute Peak. If you have to evacuate, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
First, the Red Cross says to bring important items with you including:
- Copies of important documents.
- Family and emergency contact info.
- A map of the local area.
- An extra phone charger or power bank.
- Important medication.
- Comfort items like stuffed animals for kids.
Animal control is also assisting with any pet and livestock.
If you have physical limitations and require evacuation assistance, please call the Aging & Adult Services hotline at 1-855-264-6565.
For those evacuating there are a few things to note before you leave your house:
- Be sure to shut all windows and doors.
- Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors.
- Shut off gas at the meter.
- Don’t leave sprinklers on or water running, they can affect critical water pressure.
And lastly, locate your pets and take them with you.
If you are living near the fire officials want to remind you the best and fastest way to get updates on the current situation with the Peak Fire is to make sure you are signed up for the ReadyKern emergency alert system.
What is ReadyKern?
Kern County has implemented ReadyKern, a state-of-the-art emergency notification system to alert residents and businesses about natural disasters and other crises. The new emergency notification system enables Kern County to provide essential information quickly in a variety of situations, such as earthquakes, severe weather, fires, floods, or evacuation of buildings or neighborhoods.
How ReadyKern Works
The process begins when Kern County issues a message about a potential safety hazard or concern. Messages will be sent to all standard voice and text communication devices, including land line phones, cell phones, e-mail, and more. If you don't confirm receipt of the message, the system will try to reach your second contact number or email. The system will continue trying to contact you until it receives a confirmation from you.
To receive important communications from Kern County, residents and business owners must register the voice and text communication devices where they wish to receive messages.
