Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

The typically quiet neighborhood on Lakeshore Drive in Wofford Heights was jolted Friday night when, at about 9:00 p.m., a fast-moving fire ripped through the residence and carport adjacent to Wofford Heights Mini Storage at 41 Lakeshore Drive.

The night sky was lit by exploding propane canisters and other combustibles as 50-foot flames leapt into the air, threatening a nearby home on Pine View Court. Kevin and Kira Moldenhauer and their two children were home at the time and escaped unharmed.  A friend and her two children, who were visiting the Moldenhauers, also escaped without injury.

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"We were all sitting in the kitchen and my husband heard a 'pop' and went outside to look," said Kira Moldenhauer. "I looked around and all of a sudden the kitchen was filled with smoke."

The family's six dogs perished, but Kira Moldenhauer's mother's dog, Sudsy, managed to escape.

“Our friends have been just great,” said Kevin Moldenhauer, as he stood amid the charred remains of his home the next day. “So many people have come by to help with the clean up. I can’t thank them enough,” he said. 

This is the second fire Kira and her daughters, now 8 and 10, have endured.  A fire in 2001 destroyed their house and garage. Ironically, the structure that burned Friday night was built to replace the one that was destroyed eight years ago. Fire officials estimated property loss at $450,000, with $650,000 in property saved. The fire did not spread to the adjoining storage units. The cause of the fire, which is believed to have started in the carport or garage area, is under investigation. Arson investigators remained on scene well past midnight.

“We lost everything,” said Kira Moldenhauer. “I’m thankful that none of the kids were hurt, but what’s really hard is knowing that I lost their baby books. The first tooth, the first hair cut.... Everything else can be replaced; they are only things,” she said.

A fundraiser for the family is planned for Sunday, Feb. 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., at El Portal II in Lake Isabella. The restaurant’s owners have offered to donate half of their Sunday brunch proceeds to the cause, reported Renee Bevin of Weldon.  “We will be taking donations at the door, too,” she said.