Brush fire along the Grapevine in Lebec burns 220 acres; evacuation warnings issued

LEBEC, Calif. (KABC) -- A wildfire erupted late Wednesday night along the Grapevine in the hills above the 5 Freeway in Lebec, prompting traffic delays and evacuation warnings.

The so-called Fort Fire broke out around 11 p.m. Wednesday near the Fort Tejon Road rest area, just off the southbound 5 Freeway.

As of Thursday morning, the fire has burned 220 acres and remains 5% contained.

An evacuation warning was issued for those living in the Digier Canyon area.

Firefighters have shut down at least one southbound lane of the 5 Freeway that briefly slowed down traffic early Thursday morning. By mid-morning, firefighters had made significant progress, launching aircraft support when the sun came up.

The fire burned on steep terrain, so firefighting at night was extremely challenging.

At one point, strong down canyon winds pushed the fire north, but the conditions have since remained calm.

According to the Kern County Fire Department, a scheduled Bena Public Safety Burn was canceled due to the firefight.

Meanwhile, several people who were driving in the area were startled by the flames, but they were grateful for the calm weather conditions.

"There was a long wall of low fire, and it was all in line," said one man. "It wasn't like it was a big fire."

"There was no wind, thank goodness," he added.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.