Update: Containment efforts for Tumey Fire in Fresno County grow to 85%

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Updated: 6:26 a.m. April 20

First discovered: 16 hours ago, 2:02 p.m. April 19

Initial location: Panoche Road, Fresno, 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, Fresno in Fresno County, California.

After being active for 16 hours, it has burned 1,200 acres. As of Monday morning, 85% of the fire was brought under containment by a fire crew of 70. However, investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Six engines, two water tenders, two dozers and two hand crews will continue to battle the fire. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."

Evacuation information from Cal Fire

Evacuation Warnings

Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Evacuation Warnings have been issued for the following zones:

P6

P7

P31

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 20, 2026 at 6:52 AM.