Update: Nearly fully contained - Star Fire in Kern County at 97%

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Updated: 7:29 a.m. June 21

First discovered: 38 hours ago, 5:06 p.m. June 19

Initial location: Highway 58, near General Beale Road, Bear Valley Springs, Kern County, Calif.

Fire unit: Kern County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Star Fire

Star Fire initially started 5:06 p.m. June 19 on Highway 58, near General Beale Road, Bear Valley Springs in Kern County, California.

It has burned 577 acres after being active for 38 hours. As of Sunday morning, the fire crew managed to contain 97% of the fire. However, the cause is still being investigated.

See live video from the area:

Https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-Lamont1

Fire containment

Understanding what 97% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 97% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 3% 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 June 21, 2026 at 6:20 AM.