Update: Lincoln Fire in Riverside County remains at 85% containment by Friday morning
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Updated: 6:46 a.m. April 24
First discovered: 33 hours ago, 9:06 p.m. April 22
Initial location: Lincoln and Avenue 70, Mecca, Riverside County, Calif.
Fire unit: Cal Fire Riverside Unit
Fire type: Wildfire
Fire name: Lincoln Fire
Lincoln Fire initially started 9:06 p.m. April 22 at Lincoln and Avenue 70, Mecca in Riverside County, California.
It has burned 17 acres after being active for 33 hours. 85% of the fire was brought under containment by a crew of 51 firefighters as of Friday morning. The cause of it remains under investigation.
15 engines, three water tenders and one dozer are all continuing to fight the fire. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."
Fire containment
What does it mean for a fire to be 85% contained?
Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 85% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 15% 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 24, 2026 at 6:56 AM.