Updated: 10:47 a.m. Aug. 28

First discovered: 43 hours ago, 3:24 p.m. Aug. 26

Initial location: Southeast of Pumpkin Center, Bieber, Lassen County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Lassen-Modoc Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: 3-27 Fire

3-27 Fire initially started 3:24 p.m. Aug. 26 in Lassen County, California.

Since its discovery 43 hours ago, it has burned 24 acres. By Thursday morning, the fire crew effectively contained 75% of the fire. However, investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Fire containment

Interpreting what 75% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 75% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 25% 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