Update: 55% containment reached for Santa Fire in Merced County

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Updated: 7:27 a.m. May 20

First discovered: 14 hours ago, 4:47 p.m. May 19

Initial location: Seast of Hwy 152 near Dinosaur Pt. Road, San Luis Reservoir, Merced County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Santa Fire

Santa Fire initially started 4:47 p.m. May 19 near Seast of Hwy 152 near Dinosaur Pt. Road, San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, California.

After being active for 14 hours, it has burned 220 acres. A fire crew of 23 succeeded in containing 55% of the fire by Wednesday morning. However, investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Firefighting efforts include eight engines and one water tender. 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://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-SanLuisReservoir1

Fire containment

Interpreting what 55% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 55% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 45% 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 20, 2026 at 7:45 AM.