Fish Fire Burns 3,500 Acres in California, Prompts Evacuation Warnings

Officials said residents in those zones should prepare to leave because the wildfire threat was ongoing.

Published: 7/28/2026, 4:52:19 PM EDT

Fish Fire Burns 3,500 Acres in California, Prompts Evacuation Warnings — A helicopter drops water on Little Fire in Pleasanton, Calif., on July 21, 2026. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

Wildfires continued to strain crews across the West on Monday as the Fish Fire in California pushed to 3,500 acres and remained 15 percent contained, while a separate blaze in Oregon forced highway closures and evacuations.

The Fish Fire was burning near Caliente in Kern County, where firefighters spent the night working to strengthen containment lines and mop up hotspots, according to the Kern County Fire Department. The agency said Tuesday morning that crews were making steady progress even as the fire continued to threaten nearby areas.

Evacuation warnings remained in place for zones KRN-100 and KRN-455. Officials said residents in those zones should prepare to leave because the wildfire threat was ongoing.

Kern County fire officials said the terrain has made suppression work difficult, with steep and mountainous roads limiting access in some areas. Matt Strange of the Kern County Fire Department said firefighters were still able to gain ground around the edge of the blaze overnight.

“There are roads in the area that we’re able to access the fire, but those are very steep and mountainous roads, so the terrain has been very difficult, but firefighters over the night were able to gain access around the fire’s edge,” Strange told Bakersfield Now.

A spokesperson for the department did not respond to NTD News’s request for additional information about the fire prior to publication.

Officials said the fire is burning northeast of Bena Road and Caliente Bodfish Road, an area where hot spots continued to be a concern as crews worked to secure the perimeter. The department said firefighters were now concentrating on reinforcing control lines and eliminating any remaining heat sources.

The Fish Fire was one of several major Western wildfires drawing attention this week. In Oregon, the Fox Fire prompted the closure of part of Interstate 84 for about 70 miles between Baker City and Ontario near the Idaho state line before the road later reopened. Transportation officials said intermittent closures were still possible as the wildfire remained active in the area.

The Oregon fire also forced evacuations in the small town of Huntington, where about 500 residents were told to leave under a Level 3 “Go Now” order. Officials said the blaze had burned nearly 72 square miles and was 0 percent contained as of Monday.

Huntington Mayor Chuck Guerri said the fire moved close to the town early Monday, with smoke so thick “you could taste it.” He said crews knocked the fire back near the east side of town after it came within 250 feet of the nearest home.

Firefighters also were building bulldozer lines near a railroad corridor to protect critical infrastructure, and the town’s fire chief was hospitalized after a rollover crash while responding to the fire.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.