Update: Foothill Fire in Santa Barbara County still at 50% containment as of Thursday morning

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Updated: 7:10 a.m. May 21

First discovered: 37 hours ago, 5:18 p.m. May 19

Initial location: Foothill Road and Kirschenmann Road, Cuyama, Santa Barbara County, Calif.

Fire unit: Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Foothill Fire

Foothill Fire initially started 5:18 p.m. May 19 at Foothill Road and Kirschenmann Road, Cuyama in Santa Barbara County, California.

After being active for 37 hours, it has burned 904 acres. As of Thursday morning, the fire crew effectively contained 50% of this fire. The cause of it remains under investigation.

Evacuation information from Cal Fire

Evacuation Orders

Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access.

Evacuation Orders issued for the following zones:

SBC-177

SBC-185

Evacuation Warnings

Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Evacuation Warnings issued for the following zones:

SBC-187

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 50% contained?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 50% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 50% 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 May 21, 2026 at 7:17 AM.