TEHACHAPI, CA - Thursday January 21st 2010 at approximately 5:50 P.M., a call was received by the Kern County Fire Department for an unknown type fire in a field at Turf St and Highline Rd in Tehachapi. Approximately 20 Kern County Firefighters responded to the incident.

Upon arrival, fire crews were faced with an approximately 12,000 sq ft commercial storage building containing apples. A developing fire was at the north side of the structure in an outside covered work area. Fire had managed to penetrate the outside of the metal clad building and was spreading within the space between the inside and outside walls. Fire was also able to break through into the main storage area smoke logging the building and damaging some of the storage containers. Firefighters commenced an aggressive attack of the fire and were able to open up the walls from the outside to extinguish the fire within; simultaneously ventilating the structure from the smoke.

Fire fighters were able to save approximately $400,000.00 in property value. However, the fire destroyed approximately $100,000 of property; there is no known value of the contents at this time.

There were no reported injuries to firefighters and the cause of the fire is under investigation.