Update: Tower Fire in Kern County remains at 50% containment as of Monday morning

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Updated: 7:29 a.m. May 4

First discovered: 15 hours ago, 3:51 p.m. May 3

Initial location: Edison Highway and Comanche Drive, Bakersfield, Kern County, Calif.

Fire unit: Kern County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Tower Fire

Tower Fire initially started 3:51 p.m. May 3 at Edison Highway and Comanche Drive, Bakersfield in Kern County, California.

After being active for 15 hours, it has burned 2,500 acres. As of Monday morning, the fire crew effectively contained 50% of this wildfire. Investigations into its cause are still ongoing.

Evacuation information from Cal Fire

Evacuation Warnings

Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Evacuation Warnings issued for the following zones:

KRN-443

See live video from the area:

Https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/Axis-MtAdelaide1

Fire containment

Understanding what 50% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 50% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 50% is still uncontrolled.

Containment is part of a larger plan for managing a wildfire. It is normally expressed as a percentage and it refers to how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded/enclosed by a control line that firefighters create. The containment percentage indicates a certain level of control, but it doesn't always correlate to safety level. Also, it's important to note that containment doesn't mean a fire is out.

How is containment measured?

The incident's central command constantly receives progress reports from firefighters on the ground. As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.

Source: Cal Fire

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 6:38 AM.