Kern County

County in California

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Report created October 27, 2026 at www.firezones.info/county/029/kern

  • Fire hazard severity zones

    Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

    12% Very High

    Most of the Very High land is in the State Responsibility Area, where the State Fire Marshal's zones apply.

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  • Fire history

    Share of the land inside a recorded wildfire perimeter

    16% has burned

    Most recently the 2025 Lerdo Fire, which burned 6 acres here, one of 1,385 fires on record.

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  • Power line fire risk

    Share of the land in the High Fire-Threat District

    6% Extreme

    Utilities may shut off power in the CPUC High Fire-Threat District in fire weather, and homes outside it can lose power when their lines run through it.

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Land by hazard class

  1. Very High 649,622 acres · 646,215 state, 3,407 local 12%
  2. High 921,213 acres · 776,243 state, 144,970 local 18%
  3. Moderate 1,006,577 acres · 401,508 state, 605,068 local 19%
  4. Non-wildland 1,226,310 acres · Local Responsibility Area 23%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 1,421,704 acres · Mostly federal land 27%

5,225,426 acres of land in all, 1,823,966 in the State Responsibility Area and 1,979,756 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since 1 April 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

Largest fires

  1. 2024 Borel Fire 59,288 acres
  2. 2016 Erskine Fire 48,004 acres
  3. 2008 Piute Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 37,346 acres
  4. 1970 Rankin Ranch Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 35,976 acres
  5. 1942 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 26,977 acres
  6. 1984 Bodfish Fire Cause: Debris burning 26,709 acres
  7. 2021 French Fire 26,535 acres
  8. 2011 Comanche Fire Cause: Lightning 25,935 acres
  9. 1970 Red Mountain Fire Cause: Smoking 25,489 acres
  10. 2011 Breckenridge Complex Cause: Lightning 25,219 acres

And 1,375 smaller fires. In all, 823,661 acres of Kern County have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history

Sources

Fire hazard severity zones
CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal
State map published 27 June 2025, local map 2 February 2026
Fire history
CAL FIRE Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Published 28 July 2026
Power line fire risk
California Public Utilities Commission
Published 23 February 2026

This site is independent and not affiliated with CAL FIRE or the CPUC, so for an official determination, check with the agency or your city or county. How we read the data

Nearby areas

Cities and towns in Kern County

Unincorporated communities in Kern County

ZIP codes in Kern County

53

Neighboring counties

  1. Kern County 12% Very High · this area
  2. Inyo County 4% Moderate · <1% Very High
  3. Kings County 14% High · 4% Very High
  4. Los Angeles County 29% Very High
  5. San Bernardino County 13% Moderate · 2% Very High
  6. San Luis Obispo County 28% Very High
  7. Santa Barbara County 29% Very High
  8. Tulare County 7% Very High
  9. Ventura County 36% Very High