# 2024 Kern County wildfires

A series of active major and non-major wildfires have been burning in Kern County, California since 2024. The fires began in the month of April and remain active. So far, in the year 2024, California saw one of its worse fire seasons in California compared to recent years. Due to the high amount of precipitation that had fallen the previous winter, there was an overabundance of dry fuels that make it easier for large fires to start. High winds were also present during the summer when fire season is mostly active in the state. This led to the wildfires in Kern County to be destructive and costly.
Out of all 58 of the counties in California, over 109,928 acres have burned so far in Kern County alone, which is about 10% of the acreage burned in California in 2024. The wildfires in Kern County have destroyed 223 structures and there are no reported deaths or injuries. In addition, the Borel Fire would become the largest wildfire in Kern County history, and the second largest wildfire in the 2024 California wildfire season.

## Background

The wildfire season in the U.S. state of California usually begins somewhere between May and June and typically ends between October and December. Because of the unusual amount of rainfall California previously obtained, this led them to an above average amount of dry fuels, which had not just affected Kern County, but most of the state of California. In the city of Bakersfield, California, they got approximately 2.22 inches of rain during the winter, which is about one inch above average, leading to much more fuel able to grow. The components of having plenty of fuel, high winds, and record-breaking heat led the way for 2024 being one of Kern County's worst fire seasons ever recorded.

## List of Wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 50 acres (20 ha) in Kern County during 2024.
| Name | Acres | Start date | Containment date | Notes |
| Gardner | 254 | April 12 | April 12 | |
| Burbank | 62 | April 12 | April 12 | |
| School | 1,479 | May 2 | May 3 | Fire sparked northwest of Wind Wolves Preserve. |
| Sherwood | 353 | May 10 | May 11 | |
| Panama | 79 | May 10 | May 10 | |
| Cow | 132 | May 15 | May 21 | Burned in the Sequoia National Forest. |
| Famoso | 65 | May 19 | May 19 | |
| Wind | 121 | May 20 | May 20 | Started east of Wind Wolves Preserve. |
| Holiday | 428 | May 25 | May 25 | Burned in the Antelope Valley. |
| Sherwood 2 | 162 | May 25 | May 25 | |
| Twisselman | 303 | May 26 | May 26 | |
| Tule 2 | 52 | May 27 | May 28 | |
| Panel | 57 | May 29 | May 29 | |
| Lake | 180 | May 30 | May 31 | |
| Red | 98 | May 31 | June 28 | Evacuated areas of Lake Isabella. |
| Ranch | 616 | May 31 | June 1 | Started just north of Bakersfield. |
| West | 1,575 | June 2 | June 5 | Fire sparked in the Antelope Valley, northwest of Rosamond. |
| Shadow | 86 | June 3 | June 6 | Evacuated areas of Squirrel Mountain Valley. |
| Morning | 58 | June 3 | June 3 | Burned in Bakersfield. |
| Road | 1,088 | June 4 | June 6 | Burned southwest of Taft. |
| Lost | 3,600 | June 6 | June 11 | Burned west of the Kern National Wildlife Refuge. |
| Gaskell | 403 | June 6 | June 6 | Burned in the Antelope Valley. |
| 155 | 55 | June 6 | June 9 | Evacuated areas of Wofford Heights. |
| Cody | 906 | June 8 | June 9 | |
| Oil | 73 | June 11 | June 11 | Burned north of Bakersfield. |
| James | 141 | June 11 | June 11 | Burned in Oildale. |
| Five | 197 | June 14 | June 14 | |
| Quinn | 70 | June 15 | June 15 | |
| Sky | 528 | June 19 | June 20 | |
| Daytona | 110 | June 19 | June 19 | Burned in Bakersfield. |
| 10th | 133 | June 24 | June 24 | Burned just north of Edwards Air Force Base. |
| Lavender | 210 | June 25 | June 25 | |
| Round | 92 | June 25 | June 26 | Started north of Bakersfield. |
| El Paso | 471 | June 29 | July 2 | Burned southwest of Ridgecrest. |
| Power | 140 | July 2 | July 4 | Burned in the Sequoia National Forest. |
| Olive | 1,310 | July 3 | July 5 | |
| Berry | 59 | July 3 | July 3 | |
| Orchard | 831 | July 3 | July 5 | Evacuated areas of Tehachapi. |
| Caliente | 53 | July 8 | July 8 | |
| Breckenridge | 276 | July 9 | July 10 | |
| Pilot | 218 | July 12 | July 12 | Started west of Bakersfield. |
| Hurricane | 12,703 | July 13 | July 17 | Started in San Luis Obispo County, burned mostly in Kern County, South of McKittrick. |
| White | 5,646 | July 13 | July 26 | Lightning-caused; the fire sparked evacuations for Twin Lakes. |
| Rancho | 9,950 | July 13 | July 26 | Lightning-caused; started southeast of Arvin. |
| Laura | 77 | July 14 | July 19 | Caused by lightning. |
| Five | 364 | July 14 | July 14 | |
| Holloway | 120 | July 14 | July 15 | |
| Lost Hills | 4,032 | July 14 | July 15 | Burned north of Lost Hills. Crossed over Interstate 5 during strong winds. |
| Five | 348 | July 15 | July 15 | |
| Willow | 292 | July 16 | July 16 | |
| Borel | 59,288 | July 24 | September 15 | Burned in the Sequoia National Forest. The fire was started by a fatal accident. The fire destroyed 223 structures and damaged 29. The fire destroyed the historic town of Havilah. |
| Morning 7 | 56 | July 26 | July 26 | Burned in Bakersfield. |
| Sawmill | 164 | July 26 | July 29 | Burned in Wofford Heights and threatened structures. |
| Pendulum | 269 | August 16 | August 16 | The fire impacted multiple houses in Bakersfield. |