Kern County Fire Department on BVS Emergency Exits

Published on
December 21, 2022

 uring the cold, wet, winter and spring months in Bear Valley Springs it can be easy to forget that for half the year, sometimes longer, the threat of wildfire to our community is a daily presence. While enjoying the break from continuous weed eating and property clearance, it is important to remember other natural disasters such as flooding and earthquakes can occur at any time. This time of year is a perfect time to evaluate your personal readiness for emergencies and prepare for the annual wildfire season.

Residents of Bear Valley Springs have two emergency alert programs available to them. ReadyKern is operated by Kern County OES and CodeRed is operated by Bear Valley Community Services District. Everyone should be registered on both platforms to ensure any and all emergency communications affecting our community reach you. Sign up online for these services at the following websites:

In the event of a wildfire or other emergency, residents may be directed to evacuate the area being impacted. Please follow the instructions given by the received emergency alert and on-scene emergency responders. Bear Valley Road is the only public road in or out of Bear Valley Springs. Due to several factors that could negatively impact public safety, no one should attempt to evacuate Bear ValleySprings through roads not serviced and maintained by the Bear Valley CSD without direct instruction from emergency responders. Please review BearValley Police Chief Melanson’s article regarding emergency exits at this location https://www.bvcsd.com/posts/emergency-exits .

All property owners should also be utilizing the winter and spring to further enhance the defensible space around their homes and minimizing the impact of their property on other properties. The Kern County Fire Department allows for the open burning of natural materials removed from their property for hazard reduction. Generally, open burning lasts from late December through April depending on weather and fuel conditions. Stop by Kern County Fire Department Station 16 at 28946 BearValley Road for burn permits and further information. Also, take the time to review hazard reduction requirements at https://kerncountyfire.org/hazard-info/haz-red.html so that your property remains defensible throughout the year.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping Bear Valley Springs a safe a beautiful place to live.

Fire Captain Nick Swihart

Kern County Fire Department - Station #16 Bear Valley Springs

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