Updated: 10:40 a.m. Aug. 29

First discovered: 4 days ago, 1:24 p.m. Aug. 25

Initial location: Inyo County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Aberdeen

Aberdeen Fire initially started 1:24 p.m. Aug. 25 in Inyo County, 12 Miles N From Independence.

After being active for four days, it has burned 91 acres of federal land managed by the United States Forest Service. A fire crew of 131 has been working on site and they managed to contain 65% of the fire by Friday morning. The cause remains undetermined. So far, the expenses for addressing this fire stand at $275,000.

The main fuel for the wildfire consists of two-foot brush.

Wildfire dynamics with two-foot brush as primary fuel

Due to the density and flammability of brush vegetation, brush fires create moderate to high intensity flames. Containment efforts might be challenging, especially in dry and windy conditions, as such wildfire tends to spread rapidly. There’s an increased risk of ember production, which can lead to spot fires as well as brush fuels produce dense smoke.

Fire containment

Understanding what 65% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 65% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 35% 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: National Interagency Fire Center