Update: 25% containment achieved for Pine Fire in Monterey County

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Updated: 1:35 p.m. April 28

First discovered: 11:59 a.m. April 28

Initial location: Highway 198 & Pine Valley Road, San Lucas, Monterey County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Benito-Monterey Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Pine Fire

Pine Fire initially started today at 11:59 a.m. at Highway 198 & Pine Valley Road, San Lucas in Monterey County, California.

25% of the fire was brought under containment by a fire crew of 44 by Tuesday afternoon. Investigations into its cause are still ongoing.

The firefighting efforts involve five engines, one water tender, one helicopter, two dozers and one hand crew. 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-SanBenitoMtn2

Fire containment

Interpreting what 25% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 25% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 75% 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 28, 2026 at 12:25 PM.