1 Adult, 4 Children Die in Kern County House Fire

EDWARDS, KERN COUNTY, Calif., Apr. 10 (KNN) — One adult and four children tragically lost their lives in a fire that consumed the home of a family of nine in Kern County early Thursday morning.

A structure fire broke out in the 18200 block of Claymine Road in Edwards at 12:12 a.m., with the building entirely consumed by flames and nine individuals initially trapped inside.

Emergency responders from California City, Edwards Air Force Base, and Kern County fire departments swiftly responded to the scene to combat the blaze and initiate rescue operations. Initial information at the scene indicated that three juveniles escaped, while the remaining individuals were unaccounted for.

Neighbors reported off-camera that the husband and three older children managed to escape, but the mother and three to four younger children remained trapped inside.

Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Andrew Freeborn at the scene said this was a “tragic loss of life incident.”

Freeborn said arriving firefighters encountered a chaotic scene, with homes to the left and right exposed to the flames of the burning structure. Another building to the rear was exposed and already on fire. Arcing power lines were also a concern, especially with good Samaritans nearby.

As the fires were knocked down, firefighters made progress searching for occupants inside the structures. Ultimately, five individuals were found deceased inside the home – one adult and four minors, according to Freeborn. One adult and three minors escaped the blaze uninjured. A total of nine occupants lived in the house.

The genders and ages of the deceased have not yet been released, and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Kern County Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Unit in coordination with partner agencies.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol and the Red Cross also assisted in this incident, reported the Kern County FD.

Eyad Alawi, Video Journalist / KNN