Vegetation fire near SLO County line contained after burning 7,800 acres
A more than 7,800-acre vegetation fire that first began burning Thursday morning just over the San Luis Obispo County border and prompted evacuations in Kern County was fully contained Sunday evening.
The Lost Fire initially ignited in the Lost Hills of Kern County around 3 a.m. Thursday. The blaze quickly grew to more than 7,000 acres within 24 hours, forcing evacuation orders, warnings and road closures in several areas surrounding the blaze, including some sections of Highway 58, according to emergency response app Watch Duty.
The fire burned 35 miles west of Bakersfield and north of the Carrizo Plains, approximately four miles northwest of Lokern Road and Lost Hills Road, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire said all evacuations were lifted Friday evening. By 6 p.m. Sunday, the state agency said the fire was 100% contained after crews had successfully extinguished hot spots. At no point did the fire cross the border into SLO County.
The Lost Fire is now the state’s second-largest blaze of the year after scorching 7,834 acres, sitting only behind the Santa Rosa Island Fire, which burned 18,379 acres in May, according to Cal Fire.
The cause of the Lost Fire was still under investigation as of Monday morning, Cal Fire said.
