Updated: 6:58 p.m. Aug. 25

First discovered: 32 hours ago, 10:44 a.m. Aug. 24

Initial location: Near Sand Canyon and Belfast Road, Lassen County, Calif.

Fire unit: Bureau of Land Management

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: R-3 Fire

R-3 Fire initially started 10:44 a.m. Aug. 24 in Lassen County, California.

Since its discovery 32 hours ago, it has burned 500 acres. As of Monday evening, 50% of the wildfire was brought under containment. The blaze’s cause remains under investigation.

See live video from the area:

Https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/Axis-ShafferMtn

Fire containment

Understanding what 50% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 50% of the wildfire is halted 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