Update: As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, the blaze is 90 percent contained and has charred 2,646 acres. All evacuations have been lifted.
A rapidly moving wildfire in the Sequoia National Forest has already engulfed 2,200 acres and is threatening 1,000 homes near the Kern County community of Lake Isabella. KVPR’s Diana Aguilera reports.
Pushed by strong winds, the Shirley Fire has already destroyed homes and is burning in steep, rugged terrain about 40 miles northeast of Bakersfield.
As of Monday afternoon, US Forest Service spokesman Sean Collins says the fire was about 10 percent contained.
"We are fighting aggressively by tonight we may know a bit more we hope to see those containment numbers increase substantially if everything goes in our favor."
The blaze broke out on Friday and grew quickly over the weekend, forcing officials to issue a mandatory evacuation for 500 homes. Advisory evacuations have also been ordered in the community of Alta Sierra.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling the fire. The cause of the blaze is unknown.