Update: Ward Fire in Kern County - May 16 status

The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy here.

Updated: 9:41 a.m. May 16

First discovered: 7 hours ago, 2:36 a.m. May 16

Initial location: Kern County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Ward

Ward Fire initially started today at 2:36 a.m. at in Kern County, California.

It has been burning on private land for seven hours. At present, there is no available information on the containment or cause of the fire.

Source: National Interagency Fire Center

United Robots Sacramento

This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 9:48 AM.