Updated: 2:53 p.m. Aug. 21

First discovered: 17 days ago, 8:09 a.m. Aug. 4

Initial location: San Bernardino County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Gold

Gold Fire initially started 8:09 a.m. Aug. 4 in San Bernardino County, 1 Miles From Holcomb Valley Campground.

It has burned 1,036 acres of federal land managed by the United States Forest Service after being active for 17 days. 95% of the fire was brought under containment by a crew of 40 firefighters by Thursday afternoon. The cause is still undetermined. To date, addressing this fire has required $12,200,000 in expenses.

Timber, along with litter and understory, serves as the main fuel for the wildfire.

Fire containment

This is what 95% containment means

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 contained 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: National Interagency Fire Center