Ridge Fire (CA)
Satellite image: NASA MODIS (infrared — active fire in orange/red, from yesterday).
Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).
Quick facts
- Location
- 25 Miles S from Bakersfield, CA
- Personnel
- 367
- Complexity
- Type 3 Incident
- Fuel
- Tall Grass (2.5 feet)
- Behavior
- Active, Short-range Spotting, Uphill Runs
- Jurisdiction
- Private land
Driven by tall grass standing 2.5 feet high, the active Ridge Fire is currently displaying aggressive behavior characterized by uphill runs and short-range spotting near Gorman, California in Los Angeles County, located 25 miles south of Bakersfield. Managing this Type 3 incident are 367 personnel under a Type 3 Incident Commander. Satellites over the area have registered nine heat detections over the past 48 hours, illustrating the localized spread of the blaze across private land.
Burning with zero containment since it started on August 7, 2026, the 1,057-acre fire has accumulated suppression costs reaching $1,200,000. This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Nationally, the wildfire activity occurs within a broader context where 2,702,782 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure 51% below the two-decade average.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in California for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 1,057 acres — about 4.3 km². Crews report no containment yet, so the fire can still spread.
In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.
The bigger picture in United States
Across United States, roughly 2,702,782 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 51% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
We'll email you if it grows, containment advances, or it ends.
No account. One-click unsubscribe. · Privacy
Community reports
Reports from people near the fire · unverified
Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.
More fires in California
- Mateo FireContained
- Feliz FireActive
- Gann FireActive
- 3-1 Pit FireActive
- Elephant FireContained
- Buzzard FireActive