Breaking: Ben Fire reported in Imperial County on May 12

The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy here.

First discovered: 21 hours ago, 5:38 p.m. May 12

Initial location: Imperial County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Ben

A new wildfire was reported 5:38 p.m. May 12 in in Imperial County, California.

Ben Fire has been burning on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management for 21 hours. Currently, there is no data on the containment status of the fire and the cause has yet to be determined.

Source: National Interagency Fire Center

United Robots Sacramento

This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 3:47 PM.