Updated: 10:22 p.m. July 21

First discovered: 12 hours ago, 10:05 a.m. July 21

Initial location: Highway152 and Lovers Lane, San Felipe, Santa Clara County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Lover Fire

Lover Fire initially started today at 10:05 a.m. at Highway152 and Lovers Lane, San Felipe in Santa Clara County, California.

As of Tuesday evening, it had ravaged 105 acres. By Tuesday evening, the fire crew managed to contain 50% of the fire. At this time, there is no information available on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

Interpreting what 50% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 50% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 50% 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