Updated: 8:15 p.m. Aug. 8

First discovered: 2 hours ago, 5:50 p.m. Aug. 8

Initial location: Near Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, Calif.

Fire unit: Los Angeles County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Tasha Fire

Tasha Fire initially started today at 5:50 p.m. on Near Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County, California.

As of Saturday evening, 20 acres of land had been burnt by it, an increase of ten acres since the last update. By Saturday evening, the fire crew managed to contain 30% of this fire. At this time, details about the cause of the fire are unknown.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 30% contained?

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