LEBEC, Calif. | On June 4, 2025, at 11:27 p.m., the Kern County Emergency Communications Center  received reports of a fire along the west side of Interstate 5, just north of Fort Tejon Road. The first arriving units found four acres of grass and brush on fire in steep terrain, burning uphill and to the north, driven by down-canyon winds. Additional wildland resources were requested while on-scene units began to access and create anchor points to engage the fire.

Due to the challenges of steep terrain intersecting with the roadway, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was requested to close the far-right lane of southbound Interstate 5. This provided fire personnel with a buffer zone to work and mitigated the risk of falling debris, dislodged by the fire, striking passing vehicles.

Firefighters worked tirelessly to hike in hose lines to cool the fire as they advanced. As they engaged with the difficult terrain in the dead of night, air resources became necessary to slow the fire’s forward progress and allow crews to flank it. Helicopter 407 lifted off and began making water drops in coordination with ground crews to fully extinguish the fire’s edges on both sides. Flying at night in low visibility is dangerous, and this area requires extra caution due to numerous power lines and infrastructure. At daybreak, when conditions allowed for additional air support, two planes and one additional helicopter were deployed, making an aggressive attack on the head of the fire and stopping its forward progression.

As of June 5, 2025, at 3:50 p.m., forward progress has been stopped, the fire remains at 220 acres, and containment is at 25%. Crews are working through the day and night to reinforce containment lines and extinguish any remaining hot spots.