Update: Waltz Fire in Mariposa County - 37% containment reached

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Updated: 7:27 a.m. June 6

First discovered: 18 hours ago, 12:50 p.m. June 5

Initial location: South Waltz Road, Cathey's Valley, Mariposa County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Waltz Fire

Waltz Fire initially started 12:50 p.m. June 5 on South Waltz Road, Cathey's Valley in Mariposa County, California.

It has burned 1,408 acres after being active for 18 hours. A fire crew of 75 succeeded in containing 37% of the fire as of Saturday morning. The cause of it is still under investigation.

Eight engines, four water tenders, two helicopters, three dozers and two hand crews are working to suppress the fire. 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-Merced1

Fire containment

Interpreting what 37% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 37% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 63% 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 June 6, 2026 at 7:49 AM.