Kern County Fire Destroys 1,300 Acres; Evacuation Order Lifted

By 8:45p the evacuation order was lifted, allowing residents to return to their homes.

Early reports estimated that between 175 to 200 homes had been evacuated, according to the Mountain Enterprise newspaper.

"This is a wind and terrain-driven fire. We want to make sure residents are out of there. Residents of O'Neill Canyon, Lebec and Chimney Canyon should evacuate," Kern County Fire Spokesman Sean Collins told the newspaper.

According to the Bakersfield Californian newspaper, evacuees were directed to Fraizer Mountain High School (map).

By 3:30 p.m., the fire had devoured 750 acres of grasses and pines. By 8 p.m., it had grown to 1,300 acres.

Collins says the fire is burning west of the interstate and is being driven by wind and terrain. The area is covered by grasses, some heavy vegetation and pinon pines, the Associated Press reported.