Updated: 6:42 p.m. April 18

First discovered: 49 hours ago, 4:54 p.m. April 16

Initial location: Avenue H & 60th Street East, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, Calif.

Fire unit: LA County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Iona Fire

Iona Fire initially started 4:54 p.m. April 16 at Avenue H & 60th Street East, Lancaster in Los Angeles County, California.

Since its discovery two days ago, it has burned 92.4 acres. As of Saturday evening, the fire crew effectively contained 97% of the fire. The cause of it remains under investigation.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 97% contained?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 97% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 3% 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