UPDATE KERN COUNTY (Sunday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 a.m.)– The Kern County Fire Department can confirm the following information for the following fires:

Comanche Fire
This fire is located in the lower Tejon Canyon.
Fire has consumed approximately 5,000 acres, is 10% contained and is still threatening Stallion Springs.
40 mph winds in the area.

Knob Fire
This fire is located south of Highway 166 between Interstate 5 and Maricopa.
Fire has consumed approximately 4,000 acres and is 50% contained.

Wolf Fire
This fire is located near Highway 166 and Old River Road.
Fire has consumed approximately 500 acres and is 50% contained.

Milano Fire
This fire is located on Breckenridge Road, 12 miles east of Comanche Drive and is burning north toward Highway 178.
Fire has consumed approximately 3,500 and is 0% contained.
60 mph winds in the area.

Reed Fire
This fire is located on Highway 155 and Granite Rd.
Fire has consumed approximately 2,000 acres.
Containment is unknown.

North Fire
This fire is located on Round Mountain Road at Gate A.
Fire has consumed approximately 1,500 acres.
Containment is unknown.

UPDATE KERN COUNTY (Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9:10 p.m.)–Due to the extent of fire activity caused by lightning strikes that have occurred since 1:30 a.m. on September 10, 2011, a Proclamation of Local Emergency has been ordered for the County of Kern.

More than 50 wild land fires are burning and have consumed an estimated 15,000 wild land acres. Three major fires, which are estimated at 0% containment, pose a continuing threat to residential structures. These major fires have been dubbed the Black Fire, Indian Fire and the Comanche Fire.

Precautionary evacuation messages have been disseminated via ReadyKern for the Keene, Hart Flat, Bear Valley, Golden Hills and Stallion Springs communities. Widespread evacuations and sheltering operations may become necessary in the future depending on fire activity.

The Kern County Fire Department estimates that hundreds of homes in these areas are at risk and is administering the process to request assistance under a Fire Management Assistance Grant. Two CAL Fire Type 1 Incident Management Teams are assisting local efforts to fight these fires. The number and distribution of fire activity has created an enormous resource challenge. Additional firefighting resources throughout California have been requested and are en-route for deployment within Kern County. The Kern EOC is currently activated at level 1 status. The potential for additional dry lightning strikes through the weekend may cause additional fire activity. For many of these fires, steep terrain, heavy brush, large amounts of fuel, low humidity and erratic wind conditions pose extremely difficult challenges for firefighters. Firefighters will continue to be diligent in fighting these fires.

UPDATE KERN COUNTY (Saturday, Sept. 10 at 4:45 p.m.)– A call center has been established for information regarding the lightning strike fires in Kern County. Please call (661) 873-2680 for information regarding these incidents. Kern County residents can also call 211 for information.

UPDATE KERN and VENTURA COUNTIES (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2:50 p.m.) —Even as 40 lightning fires dot Kern County, another ignited in Lockwood Valley (in Ventura County). "Firefighters are battling a 2-3 acre blaze which broke out about 9 a.m. near Quatal Canyon Road, about five miles from Maricopa Highway," the Ventura County Fire Department reported. They said the fire has burned light to medium brush and was moving slowly toward a road.

UPDATE Kern County Media Release follows: KERN COUNTY, CA (Saturday, September 10, 2011, 1:05 p.m.)– The Kern County Fire Department has continued to respond to and fight multiple vegetation fires caused by lightning strikes throughout the county.

Multiple fires have burned approximately 370 combined acres in the Keene area. Fire crews have been working in conjunction with dozers to fight these fires Air tankers and helicopters are also responding to Keene to provide support to crews on the ground.

Crews continue to fight fires north of Bakersfield in the area of S. Granite Rd. and Round Mountain Rd. The combined size of these fires is approximately 1,000 acres. Two air tankers and four helicopters are fighting these fires along with ground crews and dozers. Structures are no longer being threatened in this area.

Firefighters near Arvin are on scene and fighting a fire on Tejon Ranch near David Rd. and Rancho Rd. This fire is approximately 3,000 acres in size.

Kern County Media Release follows: KERN COUNTY, CA (Saturday, September 10, 2011, 11:31 a.m.)–The Kern County Fire Department has been responding to multiple vegetation fires started by lightning strikes throughout the night and early morning.

Kern County firefighters are currently battling approximately 40 vegetation fires throughout the county. Crews in the vicinity of Granite Rd. and Round Mountain Rd. are protecting structures that are threatened by three fires burning in that area. Firefighters are also on scene of five separate fires in the Keene area and additional resources are responding to protect structures.

Other areas that are effected by fires include: Lebec, Tejon Ranch, Stallion Springs, Piute Mountain, Tehachapi, Keene, Kelso Valley, Taft, Maricopa.

FRAZIER PARK, CA (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 at 10:35 a.m.)–Kern County fire officials say there are approximately 40 fires furning throughout the county now.

FRAZIER PARK, CA (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 at 9:55 a.m.)–Two fires ignited on the mountain northeast of Frazier Park, are small fires being taken care of by Los Padres National Forest fire crews. One small fire on top of Mt. Pinos is under control, according to forest service officials.

FRAZIER PARK, CA (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 at 8:35 a.m.)–The fire near Wind Wolves Preserve is reported to have been contained. Lightning over Frazier Park knocked out electrical power at approximately 8 a.m. for less than one minute.

FRAZIER PARK, CA (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 at 7:45 a.m.)–Numerous fires are burning around Kern County, believed to have been started by lightning. Based on radio traffic this morning, a grass fire is burning west of Tejon Industrial Complex near Wind Wolves Preserve and another along Highway 166. It is unclear at this time whether there is a second fire burning on Tejon Ranch in a separate location. Another fire is burning near the foot of the north slopes of the Tehachapi mountains. Many fire-fighting resources are stationed at the Canyon fire near Tehachapi. One fire captain arrived at the scene of a fire this morning saying he was on-scene and "I have no equipment."

This is part of the September 09, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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