Updated: 3:06 p.m. Sep. 4

First discovered: 53 hours ago, 9:10 a.m. Sep. 2

Initial location: Near the community of Parkfield, Monterey County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Benito-Monterey Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Park Fire

Park Fire initially started 9:10 a.m. Sep. 2 in Monterey County, California.

After being active for two days, it has burned 25 acres. As of Thursday afternoon, the fire crew managed to contain 70% of this fire. However, investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 70% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 70% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 30% 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