Update: Acres burned in San Luis Obispo County grows to 50 acres, Cotton Fire hits 15% containment

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Updated: 1:38 p.m. June 7

First discovered: 12:26 p.m. June 7

Initial location: Hwy 41 at the Kern County Line, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Luis Obispo Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Cotton Fire

Cotton Fire initially started today at 12:26 p.m. at Hwy 41 at the Kern County Line in San Luis Obispo County, California.

A crew of 50 firefighters succeeded in containing 15% of the fire as of Sunday afternoon. However, investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Five engines, one water tender, two helicopters, 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."

See live video from the area:

Https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?id=Axis-DuncanRanch2

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 15% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 15% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 85% 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 June 7, 2026 at 12:57 PM.