A brush fire along the western edge of the 5 Freeway in the Grapevine burned 220 acres before the spread of the flames was stopped Thursday morning, June 5, the Kern County Fire Department said.
Crews had difficulty accessing the flames of the Fort fire — named for the Fort Tejon area — as they burned in steep terrain in the darkness overnight Wednesday, said engineer Jeremy Ruiz, a Fire Department spokesman.
“Once the sun came up, the winds changed (decreased) a little bit and we were aggressive with air resources,” Ruiz said Thursday morning. “It’s basically fizzled out now.”
An evacuation warning — meaning that residents should be prepared to leave if danger increases — was going to remain in effect until the fire was completely contained, he said. The steep terrain made access from the ground difficult. A water-dropping helicopter was assisting.
There were no reports of injuries or damaged structures.
Ruiz said the fire started at the roadside around 11:30 p.m., about a mile north of Lebec Road.
The cause was under investigation. He said the fire could have been ignited by a spark from a vehicle dragging a chain or backfiring.
As warmer weather approaches, Ruiz encouraged the public to sign up for alerts from their local fire agencies.
