Update: Tumey Fire in Fresno County still at 85% containment by Tuesday morning

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Updated: 10:19 a.m. April 21

First discovered: 44 hours ago, 2:02 p.m. April 19

Initial location: Panoche Road, Mendota, Fresno County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Fresno-Kings Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Tumey Fire

Tumey Fire initially started 2:02 p.m. April 19 on Panoche Road, Mendota in Fresno County, California.

It has burned 1,647 acres after being active for 44 hours. A fire crew of 70 succeeded in containing 85% of the fire by Tuesday morning. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.

The fire is fought by six engines, two water tenders, two dozers and two hand crews. 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://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/Axis-PanocheMtn2

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 halted 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

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 9:41 AM.