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ByScottSmith TheAssociatedPress LAKE ISABELLA A deadly wildfirethatroaredthrough dry brush and trees in the mountains of central Cal- ifornia gave residents lit- tle time to flee as flames burned dozens of homes to the ground, propane tanks exploded, and smoke ob- scured the path to safety. Two bodies were found Friday near Lake Isabella, a popular recreation area east of Bakersfield that was ravaged by wind-whipped flames, said Phil Neufeld, a spokesman for the Kern County Fire Department. At least 80 houses were destroyed in the southern Sierra Nevada as the fire burned out of control across 29 square miles, leveling neighborhoods and forcing thousands of people to flee from fast-moving flames. David Klippel, 78, a re- tired police officer, said he didn't see much of a threat after receiving an auto- mated call advising him to leave. That changed dra- matically within an hour Thursday afternoon. "I've never been so close to a fast-moving, fero- cious fire. It was unbeliev- able," said Klippel, who later learned his house had caught fire. "I almost didn't have time to get out." Neighborhoods of mo- bile homes were charred to their foundations. Heavy smoke hung over Lake Isa- bella, and winds pushed the flames farther into drought- starved terrain. "The forces of nature col- lided with a spark," Kern County Fire Chief Brian Marshall said. "The moun- tainous terrain, five years of drought and wind gusts of over 20 mph all drove a fire over 11 miles in 13 hours." Scorching heat and tin- der-dry conditions across the West have contributed to massive wildfires in the past week that have de- stroyed properties and sent residents to seek shelter and hope for the best. Laura Rogers was one of those who thought she'd never see her home or her brother's home again. In- stead, she was lucky to find both standing in a neigh- borhood of mobile homes that was devastated. "I was sure this place was gone last night," Rogers said through tears as she gestured at the destruction around her. "I mean look at this, I can't believe it. It's like a scary movie." The downspout of her brother's home was melted on the ground, but the structure was intact. Dozens of other homes were gone, left in piles of charred sheet metal and cinderblock foundations. Scorched tricycles, air con- ditioners and TV dishes littered the landscape. Burned-out cars sat on tire- less rims and leafless trees poked from barren, black- ened dirt. The California blaze erupted quickly, putting some 1,500 homes in jeop- ardy. Three firefighters suf- fered from smoke inhala- tion. Crews faced a "firefight of epic proportions" as they tried to protect neighbor- hoods, Marshall said. Of- ficials said they expect to find many more homes de- stroyed as the smoke clears and they do a more thor- ough check of smoldering neighborhoods. Dramatic video from Thursday night showed homes fully engulfed and others already gone as pro- pane tanks flared up and popped. Flames glowing in the steep, rocky hillsides were reflected on the lake. Residents described a franticflightfromcommuni- ties surrounding the lake, a dammed section of the Kern Riverthatisadestinationfor boating,fishing,rafting,hik- ing and camping. Cachet Kirby, 22, of Mount Mesa and her neigh- bors grabbed clothes, blan- kets and their dogs and fled through thick smoke as flames charged down the slopes. "It was to the point you couldn't see, you couldn't breathe," she said. Sheandothers,exhausted Friday morning after little sleep in shelters and cars, were desperate for informa- tion about their homes. "We could have gotten lucky and the wind shifted, or our house could be burned down," Kirby said. Cellphone service was cut off in many areas, contrib- uting to the anxieties. Very low humidity and gusty winds of up to 55 mph could worsen the blaze that broke out amid high temperatures and climbed over at least three ridges into hillside neighborhoods. "I've never been in a wildland fire where I've seen so many homes burn," Kern County fire Capt. Ty- ler Townsend said. "It's one of the most devastating I've ever seen." WESTERN BLAZES 2 di e in f as t mo vi ng w il d fi re The Associated Press VENTURA The operator of a pipeline that spewed tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into a Southern California ravine said Fri- day it didn't detect the leak because the line was un- dergoing maintenance. Crimson Pipeline said the remotely mon- itored line was emptied on Wednesday to replace valves. Oil was flushed back in, but the pipeline wasn't at full capacity when the spill occurred and there wasn't enough oil in the line to detect a drop in pressure, company spokeswoman Kendall Klingler said. Workers shut down the line after receiving a call from a resident who was in his Ventura backyard when he noticed a noxious odor and rode his motor scooter through the ravine until finding the source of the leak.. At least 25,000 gallons of crude flowed Thursday into a brush- and tree- filled arroyo. Firefighters were able to stop the crude before it could reach the ocean by building a dirt dam. The cause of the spill is under investigation. It occurred near a valve on the underground line that runs from Ventura to Los Angeles. The spill was the 11th for Denver-based Crim- son since 2006, according to records filed with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Adminis- tration. A total of 313,000 gallons of crude were re- leased, causing $5.9 mil- lion in property damage. Crimson has said most of the previous spills were caused by third parties. The Ventura leak came a year after a pipeline rup- ture from another owner spilled 120,000 gallons of oil, marring the coast and killing wildlife in neigh- boring Santa Barbara County. The operator, Plains All American Pipeline, was indicted on 46 criminal counts, including four fel- onies involving polluting state waters. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Firm: Oil spill undetected due to pipeline maintence JAEC.HONG—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS A firefighter battles a wildfire burning along Highway 178 on Friday in Lake Isabella. SatJune25 th , 8am-4pm Refreshments Discounts on Bikes, ATV's, Riding Gear and more!!! 22805 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-527-1466 EVENT 9 locations throughout California & Oregon 525 Antelope Blvd, Red Bluff (530) 527-5272 Mon.–Fri.8am-5pm Saturday by appointment Locally owned & operated ESCAPE WITH GREAT SAVINGS. *See redemption form for complete offer details. Offer expires 07/17/2016. Void where prohibited. The Reward Card expires six (6) months after issuance. 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