Hundreds of firefighters battled a wildfire on Sunday that threatened more than 1,000 homes in Central California before hotter, drier weather sets in later in the week, the Associated Press reported.
By late Sunday, people had been ordered by the Kern County Sheriff's Office to evacuate homes nearest to the fire, which began Friday and by Sunday had spread to 2,000 acres of trees and brush in and around the Sequoia National Forest, coming within a mile of a community about 30 miles northeast of Bakersfield.
While firefighters stopped the flames from reaching homes in Wofford Heights, officials anticipated that the fire will spread toward the community near Lake Isabella, a popular recreation spot.
After residents of the threatened homes north of Lake Isabella were called to evacuate, several National Forest roads were also shut down, authorities said.
"It's moving toward areas that have not been burned," fire spokesman Jay Nichols said.
At least two structures have been destroyed by the Shirley Fire, with only 10 percent of it being contained, Nichols said.
A Red Cross shelter in Lake Isabella housed 33 evacuees on Saturday night, according to the organization.
Firefighters worked to squelch the flames from the air, but a prolonged drought provided dry fuel for the fire, which was also pushed by heavy winds, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
Nearly, 1,200 personnel were assigned to the fire in the Sequoia National Forest, NBC News reported.
"Our current outlook for the forecast is such that we are really ramping up suppression operations over the next couple of days because it's going to be even hotter and dryer at the end of the week," Forest Service spokeswoman Jennifer Chapman said.
Under an air quality alert, Bakersfield residents have been warned to stay indoors to avoid the heavy cloud of smoke, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
