BAKERSFIELD, Calif. At approximately 1:00 AM on Saturday, January 5th, Kern County Emergency Dispatch received reports of a structure fire near the intersection of Olive and Knudsen. This location had extensive damage from a fire last year. The initial caller reported that transients, along with their pets, were living in the vacant structure. Flames were visible from a distance, confirming it as a working structure fire.

The first arriving units encountered intense fire conditions while attempting to enter the building and search for occupants. Despite deploying hose lines for a direct attack, the extreme fire conditions prevented entry. Crews confirmed that no one was inside the building after communicating with transients on scene. The decision was made to move to an exterior fire attack operation due to the heavy fire activity and potential for collapse. 

Once the fire was knocked down, crews were able to enter the structure to conduct a thorough search and extinguish any remaining embers.