Borel Fire
| Borel Fire | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2024 California wildfires | |
Satellite image of the Borel Fire on July 26, 2024. | |
| Date(s) |
|
| Location | Kern County, California |
| Coordinates | 35°35′44″N 118°28′54″W / 35.5955°N 118.4816°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 59,288 acres (23,993 ha; 93 sq mi; 240 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1 indirect (car crash ignition) |
| Non-fatal injuries | 2 |
| Evacuated | >4,000 |
| Structures destroyed | 223 (29 damaged) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Fatal car accident |
| Map | |
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The Borel Fire was a large and destructive wildfire started on July 24, 2024 that burned south of Lake Isabella in Kern County, California. The fire burned a total of 59,288 acres (23,993 hectares) before being contained on September 15. The fire was caused by a fatal car crash which caught fire and spread to the surrounding hillside. Keith Mulkey was driving the vehicle that started the Borel Fire, he had six DUI convictions (three misdemeanor DUIs and three felony DUIs) and numerous alcohol related misdemeanor convictions.
The Borel Fire was the second largest wildfire in California's 2024 wildfire season, only behind the Park Fire in Northern California.