Breaking: Landfill Fire in Merced County - 30% contained

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First discovered: 2:30 p.m. May 18

Initial location: N Highway 59, South of the Landfill, Winton, Merced County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Landfill Fire

A new wildfire was reported today at 2:30 p.m. on N Highway 59, South of the Landfill, Winton in Merced County, California.

A fire crew of 17 has been working on site and they managed to contain 30% of the fire as of Monday afternoon. However, the cause is still under investigation.

Four engines and two water tenders will continue to battle 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 30% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 30% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 70% 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 18, 2026 at 3:41 PM.