Update: Waltz Fire in Mariposa County still at 51% containment as of Saturday afternoon

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Updated: 4:35 p.m. June 6

First discovered: 27 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 1,644.4 acres after being active for 27 hours. A fire crew of 75 succeeded in containing 51% of the fire as of Saturday afternoon. 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 51% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 51% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 49% 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 7, 2026 at 12:06 AM.