![Kern County's helicopter 408 drops water on the fire at Lebec Oaks Road Thursday afternoon. [Chuck Noble photo]](https://mountainenterprise.com/fds/images/story/fs_3234.jpg)
Kern County's helicopter 408 drops water on the fire at Lebec Oaks Road Thursday afternoon. [Chuck Noble photo]
UPDATE—LEBEC,Calif (Friday, July 11 at 9 a.m.) As of 8:00 a.m. there were still approximately 20 Kern County Firefighters on scene in Lebec putting out hot spots within the 100-acre area near Lebec Oaks and Lebec Road which were burned yesterday. "Full extinguishment is expected by noon," reported the public information officer.
At 7 a.m. we interviewed Captain Tom Fletcher from Pine Mountain’s station #58 who said that deployment yesterday was one of the most massive he’d seen for a grass fire, and that throughout California "in my 30 year career, this is the largest number of personnel and equipment active simultaneously in the state of California that I’ve ever seen." Engine #58 was pulled forward at 4:30 p.m. yesterday to Frazier Park’s Station #57 to cover Frazier Park and Pine Mountain while the crew and engine of #57 worked on the Lebec blaze, along with substantial resources from throughout the region, reported below.
LEBEC, Calif. (Thursday, July 10 at 9:30 p.m.) About 100 acres were burned in a grass fire that was reported to have started near Lebec Oaks Road and Lebec Road about 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 10. About 150 personnel were dispatched to fight the fire and it was reported contained by 9 p.m., according to Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Chris Stroub.
"The fire is not extinguished, there are still hot spots and hand crews will be working on it all night, but it has been contained," Stroub said. Most responding personnel were from Kern County, with Los Angeles County and Cal Fire helicopters, plus at least one air tanker. An Office of Emergency Services engine and an engine from Bakersfield City also responded, according to Stroub.
The PIO also said the engines responding from Mountain Community stations included #55 from Mettler, #56 from Lebec and #57 from Frazier Park. He said he believes that the crew and equipment from Pine Mountain, Engine #58, remained at their station in the remote village. Meanwhile, he said, "backfill" crews from Bakersfield were dispatched to Frazier Park and Lebec. We will confirm this as soon as possible.
—Reported by Patric Hedlund
This is part of the July 11, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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