Update: Thorn Fire covers 1,201 acres in San Diego County, continues to grow uncontrolled

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Updated: 12:30 a.m. July 16

First discovered: 14 hours ago, 9:35 a.m. July 15

Initial location: Buckthorn Trail and Clover Trail, San Diego County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Diego Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Thorn Fire

Thorn Fire initially started 9:35 a.m. July 15 at Buckthorn Trail and Clover Trail in San Diego County, California.

As of Thursday midnight, 1,201 acres of land had been destroyed by it. By Thursday midnight, the blaze remains uncontained and continues to burn. There is currently no information on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

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 16, 2026 at 2:45 AM.