Shortly after 4:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, a fire erupted at the Kern Valley Bionicon Demo Center in Wofford Heights. Wendy and Paul Ferguson, owners of the high-end mountain bike store at 6511 Wofford Blvd., had just celebrated the grand opening of their new showroom and fully-equipped workshop during the Labor Day weekend.

“Words can't express how I feel right now,” said Wendy Ferguson as she watched Kern County firefighters beat back the fire at the rear of the building. “It's a setback, but we'll get back on track. We'll get it going again.”

A neighbor reported seeing thick, black smoke coming from a room on the northwest corner of the structure and called 911. A CARE Ambulance paramedic who was driving by also reported a “black header” or columns of black smoke pouring from the building. When Kern County fire crews arrived on scene about 4:26 p.m., windows were breaking out with smoke billowing from  the building. Homes to the west and north of the business were threatened.

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Personnel and equipment from local Kern County Fire stations 76, 72, 71, Crew 87 were dispatched, as well as 36 from Glenville and 42 from Bakersfield. The fire was extinguished, but still smoldering as of 6:00 p.m. and dozens of firefighters remained on scene.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and the value of losses to the building and its contents has not be released. Further information will be posted as it becomes available.