Two-alarm fire burns two warehouses in East Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) – Around 10 a.m. Saturday, Kern County and Bakersfield fire departments began battling a fire that engulfed two warehouses north of Brundage Lane and east of Washington Street.

• According to Kern County Fire, the two warehouses were filled from floor to ceiling with black plastic irrigation hoses. The warehouses in question had Calcot Ltd. signage on them. According to the company's website, Calcot Ltd. about cotton ginning, storage, marketing and processing of cotton seeds. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
• With smoke from the fire visible for several miles, Kern County Fire Information Officer Jonathon Drucker told 23ABC that crews from KCFD and the Bakersfield Fire Department focused on ensuring the fire did not spread to the other warehouses in the area spread nearby and that the emergency services had good control to contain the fire. However, due to the extent of the fire, crews will be on site for the remainder of the evening and the fire will be visible to the public in the area for several hours.
• However, Drucker noted that due to the fire's intense heat and favorable conditions, the community is expected to experience minimal smoke pollution.
• This story is still developing and new information may be added in the future.

TRANSCRIPT:

I'm Sam Hoyle, your neighborhood reporter, on the scene of a large fire at two warehouses in East Bakersfield north of Brundage Lane. Speaking to Kern County Fire, they confirmed the fire started around 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

“These are very large warehouses, at least 10,000 square meters each, according to our estimate.”

As a result of the fire, a blanket of smoke could be seen for miles. Kern County Fire Information Officer Jonathon Drucker says the primary fuel for the fire at the Calcot Warehouses at Brundage Lane and Washington Street was plastic irrigation hoses. According to the company's website, Calcot Ltd. about the ginning, storage, marketing and processing of cotton seeds.

However, Drucker noted that the public should not feel much impact from smoke inhalation in the area due to the high heat the fire is giving off, but they should not lose sight of the area.

“Fortunately, there is a lot of heat and energy behind this pillar, so it rises and rises to get out of the way of the people living life down here on Earth. However, we would encourage people to ensure that when they drive they are safe and focused on the road as this is a very imposing, meaningful black pillar.”

While the fire was contained to the two large warehouses, firefighters from both Kern County Fire and the Bakersfield Fire Department were seen battling the fire using a handful of tactics to concentrate the fire on the two buildings .

“We would like to reassure the general public in the area that they can go about their business and that the fire will not spread. So far we have managed to control the fire in the two buildings, which was our goal all along, and we have been successful in this regard so far.”

Speaking to Drucker, he said the cause of this fire is still unknown and he expects firefighters to be on site well into the afternoon of Saturday and possibly into the evening to make sure it is at this location there will be no outbreaks of flames. We will continue to update this story on air and online as more information becomes available.

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