Update: Whitlock Fire in Imperial County now brought under full containment

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Updated: 8:04 p.m. May 22

First discovered: 3 days ago, 4:57 a.m. May 19

Initial location: Whitlock Road and Graeser Road, near Holtville, Imperial County, Calif.

Fire unit: Bureau of Land Management

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Whitlock Fire

Whitlock Fire initially started 4:57 a.m. May 19 at Whitlock Road and Graeser Road, near Holtville in Imperial County, California.

Since its discovery three days ago, it has burned 101 acres. By Friday evening, the blaze has been fully contained. The fire's cause remains under investigation.

Fire containment

What does 100% containment mean?

Note that full containment doesn't mean the fire is completely out. In this case, it means that firefighters have managed to get a line completely around the wildfire's perimeter and it is now stopped from spreading. A fully contained wildfire may continue to burn within the containment perimeter but is not likely to spread.

However, there's a significant difference between containing and controlling a wildfire. After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it. Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.

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 22, 2026 at 8:20 PM.