The Erskine Fire was a wildfire in the Lake Isabella area of Kern County.[1] It was the second-largest wildfire of the 2016 California wildfire season. It was also the first fire of the year to have fatalities and is the 15th most destructive fire in state history.[3]
| Erskine Fire | |
|---|---|
 Burned areas along partially re-opened SR 178 near South Lake, June 28 | |
| Date(s) |
|
| Location | Lake Isabella, Kern County, California |
| Coordinates | 35°37′01″N 118°27′11″W / 35.617°N 118.453°W |
| Statistics[1][2] | |
| Burned area | 47,864 acres (19,370 ha; 75 sq mi; 194 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Structures destroyed | 309 |
| Damage |
|
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Worn wire running through a tree |
| Map | |
 Briefing map of the fire from June 28th. | |
Progression
The fire, which was first reported around 4:00 p.m. PST on June 23, quickly grew to over 8,000 acres (32 km2) and destroyed over 100 structures, including at least 80 residences, in the first few hours.[4]
By mid-day on June 24, the fire had grown to over 19,000 acres (77 km2) and was still 0% contained.[2] By 6:00pm that day, officials confirmed that the fire had grown to over 30,000 acres (120 km2) with 5% contained.[5] That evening, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Kern County.[6]
On June 28, Kern County Fire Department confirmed that 257 homes had been destroyed by the fire.[7]
On July 1, Two Red Cross Shelters were set up north of Lake Isabella.[8]
On July 11, the fire was 100% contained.[3] The cost of suppressing the fire came to $23 million, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.[9]
Effects
On June 24, officials confirmed that 2 people had been killed by the fast moving fire.[2] Officials also stated that cadaver dogs were being used to search for possible additional victims.[5] The deceased victims were an elderly couple who died while attempting to flee their home.[10]
On June 25, a third set of remains was found, though the body had been burned so badly that it is unclear whether or not the remains belong to a human or an animal.[11] On June 27, the Kern County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the remains belonged to an animal and not to a human.[12]