Update: Carbon Fire in Orange County nears full containment at 95%

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Updated: 7:41 a.m. April 28

First discovered: 3 days ago, 1:35 p.m. April 25

Initial location: Carbon Canyon Road & Olinda Road, Brea., Orange County, Calif.

Fire unit: Unified Command: Orange County Fire Authority, Brea Fire Department, and Brea Police Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Carbon Fire

Carbon Fire initially started 1:35 p.m. April 25 at Carbon Canyon Road & Olinda Road, Brea. in Orange County, California.

After being active for three days, it has burned 209 acres. As of Tuesday morning, the fire crew succeeded in containing 95% of the wildfire. The cause of it remains under investigation.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 95% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 95% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 5% 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 7:57 AM.