9/5 AM Update

Posted on Updated on

French Fire Update – September 5, 2021

The French Fire started on Wednesday, August 18, west of Lake Isabella in Kern County, and has now burned 26,493 acres with 52 percent containment.

A National Incident Management Team (NIMO) is managing the fire, integrated with Great Basin IMT 6 and coordinating closely with the Bureau of Land Management, Sequoia National Forest, and Kern County Fire Department in Unified Command.

  • Smoke may be visible today as crews work to complete burnout operations in the Cedar Creek and Alder Creek area using a combination of ground and aerial resources. Crews are constructing direct handline north of Red Mountain from Bear Creek to Alder Creek -On the north side of the fire, crews continue to mop up, seeking out and eliminating any remaining heat sources that could threaten the line.
  • The Structure Group is patrolling and mopping up around infrastructure within the fire’s interior, including Alta Sierra, Shirley Meadows, the Shirley Peak communication hub, and the Southern California Edison 66kV sub-transmission lines north of Hwy 155. These crews are also cutting down unsafe (hazard) trees and preparing the areas for residents to return.
  • Crews are successfully mopping up to the north from Basket Pass to Evans Meadow which allowed for an increase in containment in this area.
  • The east side of the fire is looking very good. Crews will continue to mop up and patrol.
  • Very dry conditions predicted into next week. Light terrain driven winds are expected each day, with westerly winds around 20 mph. Relative humidity will be in the teens during the day and recovery at night will be poor.

Public and Firefighter Safety

Please be cautious of surrounding activities and potential hazards in and around the fire area; fire resources will be active in the area. For information on returning home after the fire, visit Ready for Wildfire.

Road Closures:

Hwy 155 to western Sequoia National Forest boundary. Sawmill Road at the top of Sawmill Pass. Old State Road at Dollar Road in Wofford Heights. 24S15 at Kern/Tulare County Line. Roads west of Pala Ranches and all roads under the evacuation Order remain closed to the public.

Fire Closures:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a temporary closure for the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area to all public access due to wildland fire danger.

Closure Order of All USDA Region 5 National Forests in California:

On Monday August 30, Regional Order 21-07 was issued, closing all National Forest lands in California to protect visitors, mountain communities, staff, and firefighters.

Fire Restrictions:

Public lands managed by the Sequoia National Forest and the BLM Bakersfield Field Office are under fire restrictions. The use of propane stoves with an on/off switch is permitted, but campfires are not allowed.

Evacuation Information

For more information and to sign up for emergency notifications, visit ReadyKern. You can search your address in the French Fire Interactive Evacuation Map posted at https://bit.ly/38jmW6S. Este es un mensaje de la seguridad. Para espanol, llame a 2-1-1. Gracias.

An evacuation order is a lawful order to leave now and seek shelter away from the fire area.

Evacuation Orders remain in effect for the following communities:

Keyesville, Shirley Meadows, Alta Sierra, Slick Rock, Wagy Flat, Black Gulch, and the area around Fulton Peak south of Windmill Tree Peak (the ranch land area).

Evacuation Center:

Woodrow Wallace Elementary School, 3240 Erskine Creek Road, Lake Isabella.