| 2024 Kern County wildfires Part of the 2024 California wildfires | |
| Total Area: | 100,000+ acres (40,468 ha) |
| Date: | April 12 - present |
| Fatalities: | 0 |
| Buildings: | 223[1] |
The 2024 Kern County wildfires are a series of active major and non-major wildfires burning in Kern County, California. 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, 100,000+ acres (40,468 ha) have burned so far in Kern County alone, which is about 10% of the acreage burned in California in 2024.[2] [3] The wildfires in Kern County have destroyed 223 structures and there are no reported deaths or injuries.[4] 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.[5] [6]
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.[7] 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.[8]
The following is a list of fires that burned more than, or produced significant structural damage or casualties.
| Name | Acres | Start date | Containment date | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School | 1,479 | May 2 | May 3 | Fire sparked northwest of Wind Wolves Preserve. | [9] | |
| West | 1,575 | June 2 | June 5 | Fire sparked in the Antelope Valley, northwest of Rosamond. | [10] | |
| Road | 1,088 | June 4 | June 6 | Burned southwest of Taft. | [11] | |
| Lost | 3,600 | June 6 | June 11 | Burned west of the Kern National Wildlife Refuge. | [12] | |
| Olive | 1,310 | July 3 | July 5 | [13] | ||
| Hurricane | 12,703 | July 13 | July 17 | Started in San Luis Obispo County, burned mostly in Kern County, South of McKittrick. | [14] | |
| White | 5,646 | July 13 | July 26 | Lightning-caused; the fire sparked evacuations for Twin Lakes. | [15] | |
| Rancho | 9,950 | July 13 | July 26 | Started southeast of Arvin. | [16] | |
| Lost Hills | 4,032 | July 14 | July 15 | Burned north of Lost Hills. | [17] | |
| 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. | [18] [19] [20] [21] | |
| Pendulum | 269 | August 16 | August 16 | The fire impacted multiple houses in Bakersfield. | [22] |