Firefighters battle intense 3-alarm home blaze

Kern County firefighters were dispatched at 12:14 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, to a 3-alarm fire at an abandoned home on the 1000 block of 6th Street. Multiple dwellings were affected, and abandoned vehicles also caught on fire.

Thirty-nine Kern County firefighters worked on the fire, which involved eight fire engines and one fire truck. The Wasco Police Department also assisted.

According to an incident report from the Kern County Fire Department, Engine 31 arrived on the scene of a fully involved structure fire that threatened the surrounding structures. WPD advised that they had searched all nearby residences. The fire rapidly spread from the house through abandoned vehicles, trash and vegetation.

Multiple hose lines were pulled and put into action. However, the fire activity was extreme, and the adjacent structures, exposed to immense heat, began to ignite. Second and 3rd alarms were activated. A large tree fell, landing near firefighters as they worked, but none were injured.

Due to extreme radiant heat, Engine 31 experienced melted lights and other damage. Fire crews remained on the scene for approximately five hours.

Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Andrew Freeborn commented, "The firefighters did a phenomenal job of doing two things: Trying to keep the community safe and watching out for each other."

No injuries were reported, and cause is under investigation.