The cedar fire in Tulare and Kern Counties continues to grow and threaten homes and cabins. Tuesday morning, Tulare County Supervisors agreed to request that the Governor's Office proclaim a state of emergency due to the fire.
The fire started a week ago, and has burned more than 21,000 acres and is just five-percent contained. Officials estimate the fire will continue to grow and won't be contained until mid-September.
"I would say this next week, with the decreased relative humidity and the increased temperatures, will give us a sign of where this incident is going," said Charlie Norman, Tulare County Fire Chief.
Close to the origin of the fire, crews cleared brush along Highway 155. While farther off, some others hiked down a slope and laid hose line to protect some homes.
So far, several structures in the Spear Creek area have been damaged by the fire. But crews have not been able to go in and assess the damage yet. Evacuation orders remain in place for about a dozen Tulare County communities near the fire.
"And our personnel are doing everything they can to keep those structures intact. So we want people to return to a standing structure because these are some great mountain communities, and a lot of people call this home," said Norman.