Firefighters are battling a 5,000-acre wildfire burning out of control Thursday evening in the Lake Isabella area of Kern County that has destroyed an estimated 80 homes, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
The Erskine Fire was raging south of Highway 178 in Squirrel Valley, according to information posted on the federal InciWeb information page. It was 0 percent contained as of midnight.
The blaze was first reported at 2 acres around 4 p.m. near Erskine Creek Road and Apollo Way, the Kern County Fire Department posted on its Facebook page.
By midnight, the fast-moving wildfire had scorched at least 5,000 acres.
Evacuation orders were in effect for the neighborhoods of South Fork, Bella Vista, Weldon, Onyx, South Lake, Lakeland Estates, Mountain Mesa, Squirrel Valley and Yankee Canyon, the InciWeb page stated.
The California Highway Patrol has shut down Highway 178 in both directions at Highway 155 and Sierra Way.
An estimated 2,000 homes were still being threatened, fire officials stated.
Evacuation centers have been set up at Kery Valley High School, the Lake Isabella Senior Center and Kernville Elementary School.