Above: Cedar Fire at 7:40 p.m. PDT August 17, 2016. InciWeb photo.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect in Tulare and Kern Counties northwest of Lake Isabella, California for the Cedar Fire, 32 air miles northeast of Bakersfield and 4 miles west of Kernville.
Since it started August 16 it has burned 14,543 acres according to California Interagency Incident Management Team 5. (UPDATE October 5, 2016: eventually the fire burned 29,322 acres.)
As you can see in the map above, two other large fires occurred in the area in 2014, the Shirley and Way Fires, that burned approximately 2,600 and 4,000 acres respectively. And of course there was also the Erskine Fire in June that blackened about 45,000 acres south of Isabella Lake.
The incident management team provided this information Saturday morning:
No structures have been damaged or destroyed. Firefighters finished wrapping the Tobias Peak and Baker Point Lookouts yesterday, and they remain intact. The significant smoke column that was visible yesterday from nearby communities was generated as the fire burned in the bowl south of Sunday peak on the southwest side. Crews have successfully kept the fire from advancing further south of Highway 155. They continue to brush along the road and mop up along the fireline.
Last night, the fire was active, but less so than the night before. For example, it was primarily backing downslope toward Highway 155 and the community of Panorama Heights. Crews monitored the fire though the night, and on the southeast side they were able to install hose along existing fireline.
One of today’s priorities is to work on perimeter control and hold the fire behind established firelines. Dozer operators will construct more line, and crews with hand tools will fine tune and connect those lines. They will be assisted by aircraft, which are available to water and retardant drops and reconnaissance and mapping flights. Another priority remains the protection of immediately threatened communities.
#CedarFire #KCFD pic.twitter.com/KjLVjqCIcl
— DESERT DOG (@STARZYahoo) August 20, 2016
Back in camp tonight. Saw a lot of fire today! This was in the morning before we went on the fire line.#CedarFire pic.twitter.com/QvesWKlYVX
— Kevin H (@fireeater29) August 20, 2016
