Updated: 5:49 a.m. July 9

First discovered: 3 days ago, 5:42 p.m. July 6

Initial location: Humboldt County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Bridge

Bridge Fire initially started 5:42 p.m. July 6 in Humboldt County, 2 Miles Se From Alderpoint.

It has burned 403 acres of private land after being active for three days. As of Wednesday morning, the fire crew managed to contain 50% of the fire. The cause remains undetermined. So far, addressing the wildfire has required $1,200,000 in expenses.

The main fuel for this fire is 2.5-foot tall grass.

Fire containment

This is what 50% containment means

The percentage indicates how much 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: National Interagency Fire Center