Updated: 3:38 p.m. Aug. 4

First discovered: 17 days ago, 11:55 a.m. July 18

Initial location: Snowstorm Road and Vincent Canyon, Northeast of Susanville, Lassen County, Calif.

Fire unit: Bureau of Land Management – Northern California

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Biscar Fire

Biscar Fire initially started 11:55 a.m. July 18 at Snowstorm Road and Vincent Canyon, Northeast of Susanville in Lassen County, California.

By Tuesday afternoon, it had ravaged 69,355 acres, an increase of three acres since the last update. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire crew succeeded in containing 98% of this wildfire. At this time, details about the cause of the fire are unknown.

Fire containment

What does 98% containment mean?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 98% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 2% 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