Update: 85% containment reached for Mathews Fire in Shasta County

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Updated: 8:42 a.m. July 1

First discovered: 20 hours ago, 11:42 a.m. June 30

Initial location: Matthews Lane and Bear Mountain Rd., Redding, Shasta County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Mathews Fire

Mathews Fire initially started 11:42 a.m. June 30 at Matthews Lane and Bear Mountain Rd., Redding in Shasta County, California.

After being active for 20 hours, it has burned 31.2 acres. A crew of 25 firefighters effectively contained 85% of the fire as of Wednesday morning. The cause of it remains under investigation.

Firefighting efforts include two engines, one water tender and one hand crew. 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-ShastaLake1

Fire containment

Interpreting what 85% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 85% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 15% 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 July 1, 2026 at 9:07 AM.