Kern County Fire Department Press Release

TAFT, CA – December 26th 2008 at approximately 8:05 A.M., a call was received by the Kern County Fire Department for a house fire in the 100 block of Q Street in Taft.  Approximately 12 Kern County Firefighters responded to the incident.

Upon arrival, fire crews were faced with a developing fire in the attic at the rear of the 1000 sq ft single story wooden structure. The first arriving fire crew made entry into the structure to extinguish the fire. Their quick action prevented the fire from spreading throughout the house and was extinguished in approximately 17 minutes.  2 adults were
at home at the time of the fire and evacuated safely before the arrival of the fire department.

Firefighters were able to save approximately $50,000.00 of property and contents. However, the fire destroyed an estimated $55,000.00 of property and contents.

This family is very fortunate as there were no working smoke detectors installed in the home. The Kern County Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to remind residents of the dangers of fire and to recommend the installation of at least 1 working smoke detector in the home.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. However, electrical wiring cannot be ruled out as a possible cause. For more news and information visit www.kerncountyfire.org