Update: Canyon Fire in Kern County still at 85% containment as of Sunday morning

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Updated: 10:02 a.m. May 10

First discovered: 3 days ago, 3:54 p.m. May 7

Initial location: Highway 14 & Highway 178, Ridgecrest, Kern County, Calif.

Fire unit: Bureau of Land Management

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Canyon Fire

Canyon Fire initially started 3:54 p.m. May 7 at Highway 14 & Highway 178, Ridgecrest in Kern County, California.

After being active for three days, it has burned 2,278 acres. By Sunday morning, 85% of the fire was brought under containment. The cause of it remains under investigation.

See live video from the area:

Https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-BirdSprings2

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 85% contained?

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 contained 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

United Robots Sacramento

This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 10:07 AM.