Update: Bend Fire in Mariposa County - containment reaches 30%

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Updated: 6:25 a.m. May 14

First discovered: 16 hours ago, 2:04 p.m. May 13

Initial location: Highway 49 and Coulterville Road, Coulterville, Mariposa County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Bend Fire

Bend Fire initially started 2:04 p.m. May 13 at Highway 49 and Coulterville Road, Coulterville in Mariposa County, California.

After being active for 16 hours, it has burned 33.1 acres. A fire crew of 112 has been working on site and, by Thursday morning, they managed to contain 30% of the fire. However, investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Eight engines, one helicopter, one dozer and four hand crews will continue to combat the blaze. 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-GreeleyHill

Fire containment

Understanding what 30% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 30% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 70% 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 14, 2026 at 6:31 AM.