Update: 65% containment reached for Mission Fire in San Diego County

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Updated: 5:09 p.m. May 2

First discovered: 4 hours ago, 12:26 p.m. May 2

Initial location: NB I-15, Pala Mesa, San Diego County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Diego Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Mission Fire

Mission Fire initially started today at 12:26 p.m. on NB I-15, Pala Mesa in San Diego County, California.

After being active for four hours, it has burned 19 acres. As of Saturday evening, the fire crew effectively contained 65% of the wildfire. However, the cause is still being investigated.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 65% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 65% of the wildfire is contained 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 May 2, 2026 at 4:16 PM.