Update: Point Fire in Merced County grows to 65% containment
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Updated: 7:53 a.m. July 2
First discovered: 22 hours ago, 9:09 a.m. July 1
Initial location: Highway 152 and Dinosaur Point Road, Santa Nella, Merced County, Calif.
Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit
Fire type: Wildfire
Fire name: Point Fire
Point Fire initially started 9:09 a.m. July 1 at Highway 152 and Dinosaur Point Road, Santa Nella in Merced County, California.
After being active for 22 hours, it has burned 650 acres. A crew of 23 firefighters effectively contained 65% of the fire as of Thursday morning. The cause is, however, still being investigated.
Six engines and one water tender 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-SanLuisReservoir1
Fire containment
What does it mean for a fire to be 65% contained?
Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 65% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 35% 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 2, 2026 at 8:16 AM.