Update: Reynolds Fire in Merced County - containment reaches 20%

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Updated: 8:20 p.m. April 20

First discovered: 5 hours ago, 3:02 p.m. April 20

Initial location: South Reynolds Ave and Christian Ave, Dos Palos, Merced County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Reynolds Fire

Reynolds Fire initially started today at 3:02 p.m. at South Reynolds Ave and Christian Ave, Dos Palos in Merced County, California.

After being active for five hours, it has burned 40 acres. A fire crew of 13 has been working on site and, as of Monday evening, they managed to contain 20% of the fire. However, the cause is still being investigated.

The fire is fought by four engines and two water tenders. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."

See live video from the area:

Https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/Axis-PanocheMtn1

Fire containment

This is what 20% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 20% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 80% is still uncontrolled.

Containment is part of a larger plan for managing a wildfire. It is normally expressed as a percentage and it refers to how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded/enclosed by a control line that firefighters create. The containment percentage indicates a certain level of control, but it doesn't always correlate to safety level. Also, it's important to note that containment doesn't mean a fire is out.

How is containment measured?

The incident's central command constantly receives progress reports from firefighters on the ground. As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.

Source: Cal Fire

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 3:33 PM.