On February 8th at 8:41 p.m., Kern County Fire Department units were dispatched to a reinforced structure fire at a large commercial strip mall, with both one-and two-story businesses, in the 400 block of Center Street in Taft. Due to early reports of several businesses being on fire, the size of the building and the amount of fire and smoke visible enroute to the fire, a second alarm response was requested for additional equipment and personnel. With the addition of this equipment, KCFD was able to make a defensive fire attack preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. In total, 6 engines and 4 trucks were dispatched to help mitigate further damage to adjacent businesses. 

The use of specialized equipment, like the fire trucks with aerial water capabilities along with firefighters on the ground with hose lines, helped prevent the fire from spreading even further. No one was hurt, and the cause of this fire is under investigation by Taft Police Department and the KCFD Arson Unit.