Update: Rocky Hill Fire in Tulare County - 20% containment achieved

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Updated: 9:29 p.m. May 17

First discovered: 2 hours ago, 7:10 p.m. May 17

Initial location: Near Highway 190 and Blue Heron Parkway, Porterville, Tulare County, Calif.

Fire unit: Tulare County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Rocky Hill

Rocky Hill Fire initially started today at 7:10 p.m. at Near Highway 190 and Blue Heron Parkway, Porterville in Tulare County, California.

After being active for two hours, it has burned 120 acres. As of Sunday evening, the fire crew managed to contain 20% of this fire. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.

Fire containment

Understanding what 20% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 20% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 80% 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 17, 2026 at 8:12 PM.