Families face losing their home to the French Fire

ACCORDING TO THE KERN COUNTYFIRE DEPARTMENT THE FIRE HASNOW BURNED 15 THOUSAND73ACRES.IT IS ALSO AT 15% CONTAINMENTTONIGHT.

TWO EVACUATION CENTERNSARE OPEN NOW, ONE IS AT WOODROWLLWAACE ELEMENTARYT A3240ERSKINE CREEK ROAD INLAKE ISABELLA.THE SECOND PLACE IS AT KERNRIVER HIGH SCHOOL WHICH IS3340 ERSKINE CREEK ROAD.ANIMAL SERVICES IS ALSOASSISTING WITH SHELTERINGANIMALS AT BOTHPLACES.AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP,THIS SHOWS THE FIRE'S PERIMITERANDTHE EVACUATION ORDERS.THE BRIGHTER RED COLOR SHOWSWHERE THE FIRE HAS BURNED.THE OTHER SHADE OF RED SHOWS THEEVACUATION ORDERS IN PLACEWHICH STRETCHES ALL THE Y WAUPTO KERN AND TULARECOUNTY LINES, AND SOUTH TOWARDWHITE MAIDERS WALKWAY.IF YOU ARE UNDER AN EVACUATIONORDER, YOU NEED TO LEAVEIMMEDIATELY.NEW GROWTH SUNDAY FORCED THOSEEVACUAONTIORRSDE.AND TONIGHT.

DISPLACEDFAMILIES AREWAITING ON WORD FROM KERN COUNTYFIRE OFFICIALS.23 ABC'S KYLIE WALKER JOINS USLIVE IN WOFFARD HEIGHTS -- WITHMORE FROM REDESINTS IN THE HEATOF THE FIRE.KYLIE WHAT CAN YOU US?KEELY SO MUCH DEVESTATION HEREIN KERN COUNTY DUEO TTHIS FRENCH FIRE ..

FIRE CREWSARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK..SMOKE FILLS THE AIR ..

ANIMALSARE RUNNING THROUGH THESESTREETS ..

AND PEOPLE AREFLEEING THE AREA.

AS FLAMESCONTINUE TO CONSUME PROPERTIES."PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOME ARETHE ONES WHO SAY IT'S NOTGONNA HAPPEN TO ME.

I'LL BEOKAY.

AND THEN BEFORE THEYKNOW IT..

IT'S JUST GO."NELOCAL RESIDENT MARGORIE MANNINGIS SPEAKING FROMEXPERIENCE.."WE DIDNT HAVE ANY FORWARNING..IT JUST CAME DOWN.AND WE LOST EVERYTHING."MANNING AND HER NOW LATE HUSBANDLOST THEIR HOME INTHE ERSKINE FIRE THAT BUEDRNOVER7 TH 4OUSAND ACRESOF LAND IN THE LAKE ISABELLAAREA..

DESTROYINGHUNDREDS OF HOMES BACK IN 2016.."IT HURT.

BUT WHAT MY HUSBANDAND I SAID.

WE CANREBUILD.

WE CAN START OVERAGAIN.

WE DIDNT GIVE UP ON IT."BUT NOW YEARS LATER MANNG INFOUND RSHEELF IN A SILARIMPOSITION WHEN THE FRENCH FIREBROKE OUT JUST LAST WEEK ..FORCING HER TO EVACUATE FROMTHAT SAME PROPERTY...LEAVING HER HOME WITH JUST A FEWITEMS..."MY CATS CREMATION IT WAS RIGHTTHERE IN THE HCHUTWITH A PICTURE OF MY HUSBAND.

ITOOK THAT AND THAT.

AND APICTURE OF BOTH OF US TOGETHER."SHOW DOGS MANNING ALSOTOOK HER HOUSEHOLD PETS ALONGWITH HER TO A LOL CAEVACUATION SITE ..

WHERE WE ALSOMET ANOTHER FAMILY..

FACINGTHE SAME OUTMECO.."WIFE -IM VERY SCARED OF THISFIRE.

" "HUSBAND- ITS SCARY ..IT REALLY IS."THE MULLINAX COUPLE JUST MOVEDTO WOFRDFOHEIGHTS THREE MONTHS AGO..COMING ALL THE WAY FM ROGEORGIA..

WHERE THEYRE USED TOSEEING TORNADOS... BUTNOW ... HAVI TNGO EVACUATEHEIR TNEW HOME DUE TO CALIFORNIAWILDFIRES.."SEEING ONE ONV TOR SEEING ITUP CLOSE..

UNLESS YOU HAVEA HOME..

YOU DONT REALLY THINKABOUT IT.

BUT WHEN YOUHAVE A HOME THS ATIN DANGER ..YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT." THEAREA HAS BEEN THE SIGHT OF PT ASWILDFIRES.ER KNCOUNTY FIRE OFFICIALS SAYINGWHILE CREWS EFFORTS ATCONTNIAING FLAMES HASN'TCHANGED.

THIS SCENE PRESENTSNEW CHALLENGES."IN THIS AREA THERES A LOT OFFORERYST.

THERES A LOTF OBIGGER TREES..

MORE ON THEERSKINE IT WAS A LITTLE REMOOPEN CANAPOY A LITTLE MOREGRASS..

IT CARRIED VY ERQUICKLYD ANIT GOT INTO THE HOMES ANDWAS BEING PUSHED BYEMBERS AND 50-70 MPH WINDS..

"COLLINS SAYS MOTHER NATURE PLAYSA HUGE ROLE WHEN ITCOMES TO THE FIRE'S GROWTH.ANDCONTAINMENTEFFORTS."WHEN ITS IN OUR FAVOR WE CANWORK WITH IT TO PROTECT THEHOMES AND PUT THE FIRE OUT.

WHENITS AGAINST US THERES NOTMUCH WE CAN DO UNTIL IT CALMSDOWN."COLLINS ADDS THAT FIRECONDITIONS WORKED IN THEIRFAVOR ON MONDAY EVENING..ALLOWING THEMTO GAIN SOME CONTAINMENT..

BUTUNTIL IT'S FULLY UNDERCONTROL..

RESIDENTS URGE THEIRNEIGHBORS TO GET OUT IFUNDER AN EVACUATION ORDER...WITH MANNING LEAVINGONE LAST MESSAGE TO THECOMMUNITY ..."BLESS ALL OF YOU.

JUST TAKERECA OF EACHOTHER..OKAY?

THANK U." YOAND KEELY AS WE ARE REPORTINGOUT HERE TONIGHT WE ARESEEING A LOT OF WILDLIFE ANDEVEN HOUSEHOLD PETS TWO OFWHICH WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSPT ORTO A LOCAL RESCUEJUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO.COMMUNITY MEMBERS E ARALSO COMING UP TO ME ASKING METO URGE THE PUBLIC TO SLOWDOWN ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNINGCORNERS AS A LOT OF ANIMALSHAVE BEEN DISPLACED DUE TO THESEFIRES..

AGAINREURSOCES FOR EITHER PETS OREVACAUTION SITES WILL BE ONOUR WEBSITE RNTUTO23.COM .IN.WOFFORD HEIGHTS IM KYLIEWALKER 23ABC CONNECTINYOG U..