Gulch Fire

Lake Isabella – Just before 6:15 p.m. on June 19^th, 2012 firefighters from KCFD, BLM, and the USFS responded to the Gulch Fire, a wildland fire that started near the French Gulch Bridge on Highway 155. Two hundred firefighters are on scene battling the blaze and two hundred more are on their way to the incident. Upon arrival, fire crews were faced with two acres of light grass, brush, and scattered timber burning at a moderate rate of spread up the hillside. The fire grew quickly in size threatening one hundred and fifty structures and has consumed over three hundred eighty-five acres. The fire is 100% contained. Mandatory evacuations were put into effect for the communities of Hungry Gulch and Isabella Highlands. An evacuation center was established at the Lake Isabella Senior Center which is located at 6409 Lake Isabella Boulevard. An evacuation center for large animals was established at the Kern County Animal Shelter located in South Lake at 14891 Highway 178. A local interagency type three incident management team has been implemented to manage the fire by using local agreements. “This provides a significant cost savings and strengthens interoperability between the cooperating agencies.” Commented David Brinsfield, Division Chief with the Bureau of Land Management. Assistance is being received from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the Red Cross. There have been no reported injuries and damage estimates are not yet available. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Highway 155 is no longer closed.