Update: 100% containment now attained for Cardella Fire in Merced County

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Updated: 9:41 p.m. July 5

First discovered: 2 hours ago, 7:11 p.m. July 5

Initial location: West Cardella Road and Highway 59 North, Atwater, Merced County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Cardella Fire

Cardella Fire initially started today at 7:11 p.m. at West Cardella Road and Highway 59 North, Atwater in Merced County, California.

Since its discovery two hours ago, it has burned 19 acres. By Sunday evening, a crew of 14 firefighters has achieved full containment of the blaze. Investigations into its cause are still ongoing.

The fire has been fought by three 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."

Fire containment

What does 100% containment mean?

Note that full containment doesn't mean the fire is completely out. In this case, it means that the wildfire has been fully enclosed by a control line and it is now stopped from spreading. A fully contained wildfire may continue to burn within the containment perimeter but is not likely to spread.

However, there's a significant difference between containing and controlling a wildfire. After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it. Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.

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 July 5, 2026 at 8:45 PM.