Update: Nearly fully contained - Lincoln Fire in Merced County now at 90%

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Updated: 10:11 a.m. June 17

First discovered: 24 hours ago, 9:35 a.m. June 16

Initial location: State Route 140, South of Lincoln Blvd, Atwater, Merced County, Calif.

Fire unit: Unified Command - US Fish & Wildlife Service and Cal Fire/Merced County Fire

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Lincoln Fire

Lincoln Fire initially started 9:35 a.m. June 16 on State Route 140, South of Lincoln Blvd, Atwater in Merced County, California.

Since its discovery 24 hours ago, it has burned 734 acres. A crew of 30 firefighters effectively contained 90% of the fire by Wednesday morning. The cause of it remains under investigation.

Nine engines, two water tenders and one helicopter will continue to combat the blaze. 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://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-PachecoPeak2

Fire containment

What does 90% containment mean?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 90% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 10% 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 June 17, 2026 at 10:43 AM.