Sean Collins
Kern County Fire Department

On Thursday Sept. 25, at approximately 10:47 a.m., a call was received by the Kern County Fire Department for a house fire at 332 South Alpine Way in Bodfish. Approximately 32 Kern County Firefighters, assisted by US Forest Service firefighters responded to the incident.

Upon arrival, crews were faced with a fire in a double wide mobile home.

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The fire was spreading very quickly throughout the structure and into the roof space, with exposures on two sides. A fire crew made an initial attack to protect the exposures and prevent the fire from spreading into the wildland interface. As more fire crews arrived an entry into the structure was made to extinguish the fire; simultaneously another crew went to the roof to ventilate the structure and allow the heat and fire gases to escape. Firefighters were able to save approximately $125,000 of surrounding property value directly threatened by the fire. However, the fire destroyed approximately $150,000 of property.

A family of three adults and three children were displaced by the fire, Red Cross have been notified.

The cause of the fire has been determined to be one of the children playing with a cigarette lighter. One resident suffered minor injuries, but refused treatment. One firefighter also received minor injuries. For more news and information visit www.kerncountyfire.org