Firefighters were racing to control a wildfire Monday that threatened more than 500 homes in central California before hotter, drier weather sets in later this week. By early Monday, the fire had burned through 8 square meters of trees and brush in and around the Sequoia National Forest, coming within a kilometer of a community roughly 48 kilometers northeast of Bakersfield. Authorities have called on residents of the threatened homes to evacuate. While firefighters stopped the flames from reaching homes in Wofford Heights, officials anticipated that the fire will spread toward the community near Lake Isabella, a popular recreation spot. "It's moving toward areas that have not been burned," fire spokesman Jay Nichols said. The Shirley Fire has destroyed at least two structures, Nichols said. It was 10 percent contained. The blaze broke out late Friday in a remote area northwest of the lake and exploded late Saturday as dry winds pushed the flames toward homes, prompting Kern County Sheriff's deputies to knock on doors into the night to urge residents to leave.
