Interstate 5 Reopens After Ridge Fire Shut Lanes, Triggering 1 Evacuation Order

Q: What sparked the rapid 1,000-acre Ridge Fire that left I-5 drivers stranded and gasless while fleeing the flames?

The cause of the Ridge Fire has not been determined. Authorities say the blaze, which erupted Friday afternoon near W. Gorman Post Road and Gorman School Road east of Interstate 5, remains under investigation. What is known is how quickly conditions helped it spread. Fire officials and weather data cited hot, dry, brush-covered terrain, steep hillsides, temperatures in the low 90s, humidity around 18%, and south-to-southeast winds of 6 to 10 mph with gusts up to 15 mph. Those factors allowed the fire to grow rapidly from about 100 acres to roughly 1,057 acres in a matter of hours and to jump both sides of I-5. That explosive growth forced freeway closures and detours, trapping motorists in long backups through the Grapevine. Local TV reports said some drivers sat in traffic for about four hours and ran low on fuel or ran out of gas while trying to get off the freeway and find open stations. So, while the fire’s impact is clear, the spark itself is not: no official cause has yet been announced, and investigators have not publicly identified whether it was human-caused, vehicle-related, utility-related, or natural.

3 articles · Updated · Bakersfield Now · Aug 8

8 p.m. updates reopened Interstate 5 northbound near Gorman, restoring traffic in both directions after earlier fire-related closures.
The Ridge Fire burning east of I-5 near Gorman School Road jumped across the interstate, forcing CHP to divert southbound traffic at Frazier Mountain Road and close northbound lanes near Smokey Bear Road.
Genasys Protect issued 1 evacuation order and 3 evacuation warnings, including the GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-A order and alerts covering nearby Kern and Gorman zones.
The fire is burning south of the ongoing Buzzard Fire, underscoring continued wildfire pressure in the Gorman area even after the freeway reopened.