Kern County firefighters are still working to fully contain a brush fire that burned towards homes this week in Digier Canyon near Lebec. Engineer Andrew Freeborn says it broke out around midday on Wednesday when a van caught fire on southbound Interstate 5, right next to the steep hillside covered with dry brush, and they’d expected full containment by Thursday. New GPS mapping shows the Water Fire covers about 200 acres, it was 85-percent contained at last report.

Suzanne Grant