http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/15/california-wildfire-evacuations-homes-wofford-heights
A smoky wildfire burning in southern California forced calls for the evacuation of some 500 homes, authorities said.
The Kern County sheriff's office said late on Saturday night that the evacuation call was for parts of the Wofford Heights area, about 30 miles north-east of Bakersfield and near Lake Isabella, a popular recreation spot.
The blaze had grown to 810 acres by late Saturday night and was just 5% contained, federal fire officials said. Flames were visible in Wofford Heights, which was about a mile north of where the blaze was most active.
On Sunday, Forest Service spokeswoman Cindy Thill said officials expected the fire to have grown considerably since Saturday night.
Thill said deputies walked the streets with bullhorns and knocked on doors overnight to warn residents of the danger.
The evacuations came after a day of changing conditions.
Firefighters were "basically facing very erratic, shifting winds", Kern County fire department spokesman Leland Davis told the Associated Press. "We do try to strongly advise people to get out of the area."
Davis said about 450 personnel were involved in fighting the blaze, which was spotted on Friday.
"It was in very remote area with some homes … kind of a popular recreation destination," Davis said.
The officials warned that smoke could cause respiratory problems for some people in the area.
The Bakersfield Californian reported that at Cheryl's Diner in Kernville, a few miles north-east of the fire, business went on as usual and was unaffected by the smoke.
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