Cal Fire said the blaze northeast of Edison Highway and Comanche Drive burned 2,500 acres, and the Kern County Sheriff's Office downgraded an evacuation order to a warning.
Earlier, wind drove flames rapidly north and east, threatening several structures as firefighters requested 10 air tankers to slow the spread.
The fire, previously identified as the Tower Fire east of Bakersfield, started on 3 May and spread into the Bena Landfill area; its cause remains under investigation.
With decades of fire suppression and a historic drought, can California's new prevention measures truly curb the growing threat of megafires like the Tower Fire?
What are the hidden risks for homeowners and insurers as wildfires reach the wildland-urban interface and El Niño looms over California's dry landscape?