Fire Breaks Out above Frazier Park

  • Kern County Helicopter 407 was dipping into Frazier Mountain Park's pond for water to drop on the fire near Cold Springs (above the shooting range north of Fire Station 57). The fire erupted in the area where the Scott fire burned in 2006. [Woerter photo]

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    Kern County Helicopter 407 was dipping into Frazier Mountain Park's pond for water to drop on the fire near Cold Springs (above the shooting range north of Fire Station 57). The fire erupted in the area where the Scott fire burned in 2006. [Woerter photo]

  • The U.S. Forest Service was in command of the firefighting effort, which rapidly contained the fire to a couple of acres, according to personnel at the scene. This is a Cal-Fire craft. [Joyce Garrett photo]

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    The U.S. Forest Service was in command of the firefighting effort, which rapidly contained the fire to a couple of acres, according to personnel at the scene. This is a Cal-Fire craft. [Joyce Garrett photo]

  • Mountain Community residents said they could see the smoke, but no flames, from the direction of the forest where the Scott fire burned in 2006. [Woerter photo]

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    Mountain Community residents said they could see the smoke, but no flames, from the direction of the forest where the Scott fire burned in 2006. [Woerter photo]

By The Mountain Enterprise staff, Sara Woerter and community reporters David Schindler and Geraint Bell

UPDATE: (Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010, 2:25 p.m.)–According to U.S. Forest Service Division Chief John Abell, the fire is "a couple of acres" just north of the Frazier Park fire station at Cold Springs. "We’re starting to lay hose up there and we’re feeling pretty successful right now. The wind conditions are mild. We have lots of resources on-scene. We have a light and a heavy helicopter. We’ve boxed in the fire with retardants," Abell said. Helicopters were securing their water supplies from Frazier Mountain Park.

The call for the fire was received at 1:01 p.m. according to Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Brandon Smith. The Mountain Enterprise on-scene reporter, Sara Woerter, said a fixed wing craft was dropping the fire retardant. Woerter said that although flames were not visible in Frazier Park, the smoke was observed turning from gray to white by 1:45 p.m.

FRAZIER PARK, California (Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010, 2 p.m.)–A fire has erupted in the old Scott fire burn zone in Frazier Park, near Mt. Pinos Way and Cold Springs Road area. U.S. Forest Service fire crews and Kern County Engines 56 and 57 are on-scene according to Kern County Fire Public Information Officer Brandon Smith Helicopters are making water drops, according to community reporters.

Thank you to community reporter Geraint Bell who phoned in with an alert about the fire. Community reporter David Schindler reports that "it looks like the fire is under control," although this has not been confirmed by fire officials who are busy battling the blaze. We will be posting photographs by The Mountain Enterprise reporter Sara Woerter soon. Check back at this site for updates and photos.

This is part of the July 30, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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