Update: Sapphire Fire in San Bernardino County nears full containment at 98%

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Updated: 6:38 p.m. July 19

First discovered: 38 hours ago, 3:59 a.m. July 18

Initial location: Sapphire Road, south of Buenos Aires Road, San Bernardino County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Bernardino Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Sapphire Fire

Sapphire Fire initially started 3:59 a.m. July 18 on Sapphire Road, south of Buenos Aires Road in San Bernardino County, California.

By Sunday evening, 19 acres of land had been consumed by it. As of Sunday evening, the fire crew succeeded in containing 98% of this fire. There is currently no information on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

Understanding what 98% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 98% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 2% 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 July 19, 2026 at 8:13 AM.