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Shirley Fire largely contained after burning thousands of acres
A wildfire in Kern County about 40 miles northeast of Bakersfield burned about 2,200 acres over the weekend. The fire started on Friday, June 13, 2014.
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National Wildlife Coordinating Group
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The Shirley Fire has been largely contained, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service.
In an update just before 10 a.m., the Forest Service reported, "Excellent progress made over the previous 24 hours on all areas of the fire perimeter has enabled firefighters to raise containment to 75%."
Widened fire lines held through the night, according to the Forest Service. The Kern Valley still faced a wind advisory through Tuesday afternoon, with winds expected to blow up to 45 mph.
RELATED: Shirley Fire: Evacuations lifted as fire and containment grow
The Forest Service noted that crews were still worried about blowing embers causing spot fires outside the containment lines and that they were facing steep rocky terrain.
As the fire winds down, firefighters were set to start returning home Tuesday with more fires likely to come, particularly during California's prolonged drought and dry conditions, according to the Forest Service.
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Fighting the fire cost $7.2 million thus far, according to the Forest Service. The cause remains under investigation.
Some road closures are continuing, which you can read about in KPCC's Fire Tracker.
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