Borel Fire in Kern County has burned thousands of acres, destroyed mining town Havilah
A California wildfire is still burning thousands of acres and causing millions in damages.
In four days, the Borel Fire burned through 53,010 acres across Kern County, which is around 132 miles north of Los Angeles, and caused over $2.5 million in damages. According to InciWeb, 0% of the fire is contained.
Around 2,300 residents were also evacuated from the area, reports KVPR.
California wildfires: Park Fire is the largest of more than 100 fires currently ablaze across US
Borel Fire destroys historic mining town of Havilah
Havilah, except for a handful of structures, from the northern edge to the Walker Basin is a complete loss, officials say, according to reporting by Palm Springs Desert Sun, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
One of the few buildings to be spared was Havilah's old schoolhouse, KGET Bakersfield reported.
“Our hearts are out to those members of the public in the Havilah and Piute Meadows area,” Kern County fire deputy chief Dionisio Mitchell said at a press conference Saturday. “We know they took a loss yesterday. It’s difficult for them."
In the 1860s, gold was found in Havilah, named after a land described as full of gold in the Bible, turning the region into a boomtown. By the early 20th century, though, the gold deposits were tapped out and Havilah became a historic ghost town.
Roy Fluhart, president of the Havilah Historical Society, was surprised by the fire’s explosive nature.
“It’s a little unusual, but the stars lined up and there it went,” Fluhart, speaking with KQED, said Sunday.
Map of Borel Fire
How did the Borel Fire start?
The Borel Fire started last Wednesday, July 24. A driver on Highway 178 left the roadway near the Kern River Canyon. When Kern County firefighters arrived at the scene, the driver was dead, and the fire had reached both sides of the highway.
According to InciWeb.org, it "started on the south side Highway 178 near the Democrat Fire Station on the Kern River Ranger District in (Kern County)".
Park Fire in California
California acquired a federal grant to assist in the recovery of a different fire, the Park Fire, one of California's largest fires on record, which blazed through 368,256 acres, is only 12% contained and forced 3,500 people to evacuate.
The fire was started when a car that was set on fire was pushed into a gully.
The sky in the area where the fire is burning was yellowish early Monday morning because of the flames and smoke, which is affect the air quality.
The air's quality was made unsuitable for people with health issues over the weekend and on Monday, according the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow air quality data.
That pollution will stick around and likely get worse at times as the smoke falls down into the valley where the fire is burning, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento branch.
Contributing: Claire Thornton, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Borel Fire map: Thousands of acres burned in California wildfire