Aug. 2, 2024, 5:45 p.m. update: Containment on the Borel Fire keeps climbing, as the weather continues to be on the side of firefighters. Cooler temperatures and even some rain was expected along the wildfire Friday night, though crews will be on the lookout for new fires with thunderstorms forecasted this weekend.
Meanwhile, crews are still assessing damages from the blaze, which is 49% contained, and has scorched just shy of 60,000 acres in the Kern River Valley.
Aug. 1, 2024, 1:20 p.m. update: The Borel Fire reached 41% containment on Thursday, Aug. 1. It has now burned 59,225 acres.
Original story below
KERN COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters announced a major step toward containing the Borel Fire. It is now 34% contained, up from just 5% a day before.
The wildfire ignited one week ago off Highway 178 and exploded across the Kern River Valley. The blaze has consumed 57,306 acres and razed the historic community of Havilah.
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the town on Tuesday, where he surveyed some of the damage. He also proclaimed a state of emergency in Kern County – a move the Kern County Board of Supervisors later followed.
The state proclamation will help cut yellow tape and bring additional resources to the fire response and recovery efforts, according to Newsom’s office.
More than 1,300 firefighters are now working to contain the blaze. Cooler temperatures and tamer winds have boosted their efforts, as well as a change in the fire’s path toward greener brush and rockier terrain.
Bone-dry conditions and scorching heat had fueled the fire’s growth late last week, and contributed to flames reaching Havilah – a former gold-mining town that served as the original seat of Kern County’s government until it moved to Bakersfield.
Fire teams are still assessing the damage caused by the fire, and several communities in the Kern County mountains remain under evacuation notices.
Two other fires burning in the Sequoia National Forest – the Trout and Long fires – remain largely contained, with smaller crews in place to mop-up hotspots. The three fires are collectively managed as the SQF Lightning Complex.
