2024 Kern County wildfires

2024 Kern County wildfires
Part of the 2024 California wildfires
The Borel Fire on July 29, 2024.
Date(s)	April 12 - present
Statistics
Total area	>109,928 acres (44,486 ha)
Impacts
Deaths	0
Structures destroyed	223 [1]

A series of active major and non-major wildfires have been burning in Kern County, California since 2024. The fires began in the month of April and remain active. So far, in the year 2024, California saw one of its worse fire seasons in California compared to recent years. Due to the high amount of precipitation that had fallen the previous winter, there was an overabundance of dry fuels that make it easier for large fires to start. High winds were also present during the summer when fire season is mostly active in the state. This led to the wildfires in Kern County to be destructive and costly.

Out of all 58 of the counties in California, over 109,928 acres have burned so far in Kern County alone, which is about 10% of the acreage burned in California in 2024. ^{[2] [3]} The wildfires in Kern County have destroyed 223 structures and there are no reported deaths or injuries. ^[4] In addition, the Borel Fire would become the largest wildfire in Kern County history, and the second largest wildfire in the 2024 California wildfire season. ^{[5] [6]}

Background

The wildfire season in the U.S. state of California usually begins somewhere between May and June and typically ends between October and December. Because of the unusual amount of rainfall California previously obtained, this led them to an above average amount of dry fuels, which had not just affected Kern County, but most of the state of California. In the city of Bakersfield, California, they got approximately 2.22 inches of rain during the winter, which is about one inch above average, leading to much more fuel able to grow. ^[7] The components of having plenty of fuel, high winds, and record-breaking heat led the way for 2024 being one of Kern County's worst fire seasons ever recorded. ^[8]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 50 acres (20 ha) in Kern County during 2024.

Name	Acres	Start date	Containment date	Notes	Ref
Gardner	254	April 12	April 12		[9]
Burbank	62	April 12	April 12		[10]
School	1,479	May 2	May 3	Fire sparked northwest of Wind Wolves Preserve.	[11]
Sherwood	353	May 10	May 11		[12]
Panama	79	May 10	May 10		[13]
Cow	132	May 15	May 21	Burned in the Sequoia National Forest.	[14]
Famoso	65	May 19	May 19		[15]
Wind	121	May 20	May 20	Started east of Wind Wolves Preserve.	[16]
Holiday	428	May 25	May 25	Burned in the Antelope Valley.	[17]
Sherwood 2	162	May 25	May 25		[18]
Twisselman	303	May 26	May 26		[19]
Tule 2	52	May 27	May 28		[20]
Panel	57	May 29	May 29		[21]
Lake	180	May 30	May 31		[22]
Red	98	May 31	June 28	Evacuated areas of Lake Isabella.	[23]
Ranch	616	May 31	June 1	Started just north of Bakersfield.	[24]
West	1,575	June 2	June 5	Fire sparked in the Antelope Valley, northwest of Rosamond.	[25]
Shadow	86	June 3	June 6	Evacuated areas of Squirrel Mountain Valley.	[26]
Morning	58	June 3	June 3	Burned in Bakersfield.	[27]
Road	1,088	June 4	June 6	Burned southwest of Taft.	[28]
Lost	3,600	June 6	June 11	Burned west of the Kern National Wildlife Refuge.	[29]
Gaskell	403	June 6	June 6	Burned in the Antelope Valley.	[30]
155	55	June 6	June 9	Evacuated areas of Wofford Heights.	[31]
Cody	906	June 8	June 9		[32]
Oil	73	June 11	June 11	Burned north of Bakersfield.	[33]
James	141	June 11	June 11	Burned in Oildale.	[34]
Five	197	June 14	June 14		[35]
Quinn	70	June 15	June 15		[36]
Sky	528	June 19	June 20		[37]
Daytona	110	June 19	June 19	Burned in Bakersfield.	[38]
10th	133	June 24	June 24	Burned just north of Edwards Air Force Base.	[39]
Lavender	210	June 25	June 25		[40]
Round	92	June 25	June 26	Started north of Bakersfield.	[41]
El Paso	471	June 29	July 2	Burned southwest of Ridgecrest.	[42]
Power	140	July 2	July 4	Burned in the Sequoia National Forest.	[43]
Olive	1,310	July 3	July 5		[44]
Berry	59	July 3	July 3		[45]
Orchard	831	July 3	July 5	Evacuated areas of Tehachapi.	[46]
Caliente	53	July 8	July 8		[47]
Breckenridge	276	July 9	July 10		[48]
Pilot	218	July 12	July 12	Started west of Bakersfield.	[49]
Hurricane	12,703	July 13	July 17	Started in San Luis Obispo County, burned mostly in Kern County, South of McKittrick.	[50]
White	5,646	July 13	July 26	Lightning-caused; the fire sparked evacuations for Twin Lakes.	[51]
Rancho	9,950	July 13	July 26	Lightning-caused; started southeast of Arvin.	[52]
Laura	77	July 14	July 19	Caused by lightning.	[53]
Five	364	July 14	July 14		[54]
Holloway	120	July 14	July 15		[55]
Lost Hills	4,032	July 14	July 15	Burned north of Lost Hills. Crossed over Interstate 5 during strong winds.	[56]
Five	348	July 15	July 15		[57]
Willow	292	July 16	July 16		[58]
Borel	59,288	July 24	September 15	Burned in the Sequoia National Forest. The fire was started by a fatal accident. The fire destroyed 223 structures and damaged 29. The fire destroyed the historic town of Havilah.	[59] [60] [61] [62]
Morning 7	56	July 26	July 26	Burned in Bakersfield.	[63]
Sawmill	164	July 26	July 29	Burned in Wofford Heights and threatened structures.	[64]
Pendulum	269	August 16	August 16	The fire impacted multiple houses in Bakersfield.	[65]

See also

• List of California wildfires
• 2024 California wildfires
• Park Fire

References

1. "Kern County Emergencies". Kern County Fire Department. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
2. "Kern County Emergencies". Kern County Fire Department. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
3. "2024 Fire Season Incident Archive". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). Retrieved October 10, 2024.
4. "Kern County Emergencies". Kern County Fire Department. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
5. "Borel Fire: Biggest Wildfire in Kern County History". KGET 17. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
6. "2024 Fire Season Incident Archive". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). Retrieved October 10, 2024.
7. "Bakersfield Monthly Precipitation By Water Year". weather.gov. National Weather Service. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
8. "California heat: A 'potentially historic' heat wave intensifies along the West Coast, as dangerous wildfires spread". cnn.com. CNN. July 5, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
9. "Gardner Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
10. "Burbank Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
11. "School Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
12. "Sherwood Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
13. "Panama Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
14. "Cow Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
15. "Famoso Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
16. "Wind Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
17. "Holiday Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
18. "Sherwood Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
19. "Twisselman Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
20. "Tule Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
21. "Panel Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
22. "Lake Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
23. "Red Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
24. "Ranch Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
25. "West Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved June 3, 2024.
26. "Shadow Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
27. "Morning Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
28. "Road Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved June 5, 2024.
29. "Lost Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved June 7, 2024.
30. "Gaskell Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
31. "155 Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
32. "Cody Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
33. "Oil Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
34. "James Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
35. "5 Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
36. "Quinn Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
37. "Sky Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
38. "Famoso Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
39. "10th Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
40. "Lavender Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
41. "Round Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
42. "El Paso Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
43. "Power Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
44. "Olive Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 3, 2024.
45. "Berry Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
46. "Orchard Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
47. "Caliente Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
48. "Breckenridge Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
49. "Pilot Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
50. "Hurricane Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 13, 2024.
51. "White Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 13, 2024.
52. "Rancho Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 13, 2024.
53. "Laura Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
54. "Five Fire (North)". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
55. "Holloway Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
56. "Lost Hills Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 14, 2024.
57. "Five Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
58. "Willow Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
59. "Borel Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved July 24, 2024.
60. "Borel Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
61. "Borel Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
62. "National Fire Situational Awareness".
63. "Morning Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
64. "Sawmill Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
65. "Pendulum Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 10, 2021.