Firefighters are working to control a brush fire that started in Kern County early Friday morning, according to authorities.
The Sherwood Fire started around 10:15 a.m. in the area north of Sherwood Avenue and Famoso-Woody Road, east of Highway 65 and north of Bakersfield, according to Cal Fire. As of 2 p.m., the fire was 20% contained and had spread to 373 acres.
An evacuation warning was issued for areas north of Famoso Road and Famoso-Woody Road, south of Garces Highway, east of Porterville Highway and west of Bakersfield-Glennville Road.
Jon Drucker, public information officer for the Kern County Fire Department, said the fire burned through dry grass and rolling hills and was spreading at a moderate rate driven by winds. There are several homes along the path of the fire; one is considered to be at risk and firefighters are at the home trying to protect it.
Drucker said the fire was stopped before it could spread to the house.
Drucker said crews planned to spend the night working on some of the smoldering land within the black zone.
He added: “They will be keeping a close eye on them as they work here and we will be on site all night and into the morning.”
Firefighters were putting out the blaze with the help of a plane from Porterville, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Carlos Molina. Temperatures will be in the mid-70s Friday afternoon with northwest winds around 10 to 12 mph.
“When the smoke comes up, it’s going to push everything in the area to the southwest,” Molina said. “Because the wind is not too strong now, [firefighters are] Handle the fire properly.
Temperatures are expected to rise another 10 to 15 degrees Friday afternoon into Sunday, Molina said, meaning temperatures could reach the mid-80s. Relative humidity will also drop to around 15% to 19% by Sunday.
“As the situation worsens a little bit, it may not be conducive to putting out the fire,” he added.
Molina advised residents in the area to pay attention to officials and local law enforcement and to leave the area if an evacuation order is issued. He said this not only keeps people safe but also allows firefighters to focus on putting out fires rather than performing rescue operations.
