BAKERSFIELD, Calif., June 16 (UPI) -- Some 500 homes were under threat in the Kern River Valley, Calif., after the Shirley Fire near Lake Isabella swelled to about 2,000 acres Sunday.
Officials ordered the evacuations of 500 homes and the Southern California Edison communication facilities Saturday night as the fire spread through the region.
A shelter was opened by the Red Cross at the Lake Isabella Senior Center for the evacuated.
The fire sparked Friday night in the Sequoia National Forest and as of Monday morning, it was 10 percent contained.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
As of May 8, the Sequoia National Forest had campfire restrictions in place, allowing campfires and barbecues only in developed campgrounds or areas specifically marked as exempt from the restrictions.
The forest's Twitter account documented the movement of the fire and smoke with photos:
Shirley Fire as seen from Old State Rs 11am 6/14/14 @BLMca @kerncountyfire @TulareCoFireEMS pic.twitter.com/9TNTjARSq6
— Sequoia Nat'l Forest (@sequoiaforest) June 14, 20141130 am Shirley Fire pic.twitter.com/m4ykVPvXmb
Advertisement— Sequoia Nat'l Forest (@sequoiaforest) June 14, 2014DC-10 VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker) dropping 11K gallongs of retardant to help fight Shirley Fire @usfs_r5 pic.twitter.com/FsCMMvsVzZ
— Sequoia Nat'l Forest (@sequoiaforest) June 14, 2014
