UPDATE (Monday, June 9, 4:30 p.m.) — According to Kern County Fire Department, the cause of the "Grapevine Fire" which burned between Interstate 5 and Digier Canyon was: "accidental, ignition source was a blown vehicle tire."

UPDATE (Saturday, June 7, 8:05 a.m.) — The fire was 100% contained by 6 a.m. this morning. About 100 firefighters remained on the scene throughout the night, improving containment lines and extinguishing active flames, according to Kern County Fire Department’s Public Information Officer Tony Diffenbaugh.

UPDATE (Friday, June 6, 4:20 p.m.) — The fire in Lebec, according to Captain Alex Entenman, is 50% contained and winds have decreased, although he says structures in Digier Canyon are still threatened. Incident command expects to have the fire contained this evening.  Helicopters from Kern County Fire, Santa Barbara Fire and Los Angeles County Fire assisted in controlling the blaze.

A separate, unrelated vehicle fire on Interstate 5 was contained quickly, he said.

UPDATE (Friday, June 6, 1:30 p.m.) — Homes are being evacuated in Digier Canyon and an evacuation center has been set up at Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec by the Red Cross.  The Kern County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the evacuation. The fire has burned approximately 500 acres and, according to Kern County Fire Captain Alex Entenman, is burning approximately 1/4 mile from homes and continuing in a southwesterly direction, toward Digier Canyon.

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (Friday, June 6, 11:10 a.m.) — A brush fire broke out in Lebec on Interstate 5 this morning just after 9:30 a.m., approximately a mile north of Fort Tejon.

The fire was headed southwest, up the hillside, in the direction of Digier Canyon. According to Kern County Fire Department radio traffic, approximately 220 acres had been consumed by 10:45 a.m. Fire officials stated some confidence that the fire would be controlled soon.

Check back at www.MountainEnterprise.com for updates.

This is part of the June 06, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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