Updated: 11:07 p.m. March 30

First discovered: 7 hours ago, 3:51 p.m. March 30

Initial location: Friant/ Pincushion mountain, Fresno County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Fresno-Kings Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Pin Fire

Pin Fire initially started today at 3:51 p.m. at Friant/ Pincushion mountain in Fresno County, California.

Since its discovery seven hours ago, it has burned 12 acres, an increase of five acres since the last update. A crew of eight firefighters effectively contained 60% of the fire as of Monday evening. However, the cause is still being investigated.

Among other resources, two engines have also been assigned to fight the wildfire. According to Cal Fire, “Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow.”

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 60% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 60% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 40% 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