Update: Nearly fully contained - Palomar Fire in Riverside County at 90%

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Updated: 6:55 p.m. April 17

First discovered: 5 hours ago, 1:16 p.m. April 17

Initial location: Palomar Street, Wildomar, Riverside County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Riverside Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Palomar Fire

Palomar Fire initially started today at 1:16 p.m. on Palomar Street, Wildomar in Riverside County, California.

Since its discovery five hours ago, it has burned 11 acres. As of Friday evening, 90% of the wildfire was brought under containment. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.

Fire containment

Understanding what 90% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 90% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 10% 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 April 17, 2026 at 1:55 PM.