RIDGECREST, Calif., On August 13th, 2024, at 12:29 p.m. Kern County firefighters were dispatched to reports of a structure on fire with flames and smoke visible on the 100 block of W. Wilson Ave. Crews arrived to find a house fully involved in fire, spreading to nearby structures and impacting power lines. A second alarm response was started. The three engine companies from the area, a total of nine firefighters, took on the blaze until reinforcements arrived. Triple digit temperatures, dense accumulation of belongings in the yard, falling power lines and a condemned structure with roof collapse challenged the firefighters as they worked. Gusty winds further complicated things as trees torched off and embers lifted and spread to adjacent lots. Heavy fire pushed into a three unit apartment building next door. The crews, already stretched thin, fought to defend the triplex. The fire caused damage to the unit on the end, however, firefighters held off its advance and preserved the other two apartments. All impacted structures were thoroughly searched for victims and thankfully none were found.

The firefighters, exhausted from the heat and work load, were rotated through rehab as soon as more help arrived. There, their blood pressure, pulse and temperature were checked. Their core body temperature was given a few minutes to cool down before they went back to work.

Two residences, a condemned structure and multiple sheds were taken by the flames. Several homes and other structures were saved by the efforts of firefighters to contain the fire to its area of origin. Knockdown on the fire was achieved and crews remained on scene, working meticulously through the burned materials, extinguishing any hot spots they could find.

The cause of the fire is undetermined. No injuries were reported.

The excellent photography seen in the first three photos is courtesy of Laura Austin of The News Review, Ridgecrest.