With Highway 178 reopened on Tuesday, it's expected to ease the burden on residents and business owners trying to move throughout the area over the past week.
- With several roads being closed because of the Borel Fire, a local restaurant owner in Kernville, says business has died down.
- Cheryl Borthick, owner of Cheryl's Diner told 23ABC that back during the Stormy Complex fire in the 90s, her business was packed with fire crews.
- With fire departments stationed at Camp 9, Borthick says they rarely come to her restaurant now.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Local business owners in Kernville say that the closure of HWY 178 through the canyon due to the Borel Fire had a big impact on the number of customers coming through their doors. One of those business owners is Cheryl Borthick who has owned Cheryl's Diner for 40 years.
"Two fires converged and the town was full of firemen," said Borthick, referring to the Stormy Complex Fire—a fire in the Kern River Valley that burned over 23 thousand acres.
"We had crews all over the place because they didn't have camps set up for them, but now they're a lot more contained where they house the fellas that are coming in off the fire," said Borthick.
With fire departments stationed at Camp 9 for the Borel Fire, Borthick says only a few stop by the diner for food.
"We had a crew of 10 yesterday morning," she said.
The diner owner added that since the fire started, the business has slowed down, which she contributes to residents' fear of the fire and road closures.
Despite the slow days, Borthick says the diner's doors are always open to locals and anyone traveling through Kernville to evacuate from the fire.
"It's been tragic for everybody who's had to displace themselves," Borthick states. "You can imagine if you'd had to leave your house in a hurry and you just had to walk out with maybe paperwork."
To get the latest update on road closures you can call 1-800-GAS-ROAD.
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