Update: Landmark Fire in San Diego County - 25% containment reached

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Updated: 2:48 p.m. May 1

First discovered: 1:28 p.m. May 1

Initial location: Ranchita, San Diego County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Diego Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Landmark Fire

Landmark Fire initially started today at 1:28 p.m. in Ranchita in San Diego County, California.

By Friday afternoon, 25% of the fire was brought under containment by a crew of 75 firefighters. The cause of it is still under investigation.

Nine engines, three water tenders, one dozer and three hand crews 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://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/Axis-Ranchita2

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 25% contained?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 25% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 75% 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 1, 2026 at 1:14 PM.