Updated: 5:50 p.m. July 28

First discovered: 4 days ago, 5:15 p.m. July 24

Initial location: Tinnemaha Road and Taboose Creek Road, North of Aberdeen, Inyo County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Bernardino-Inyo-Mono Unit, Bureau of Land Management, CHP, United States Forest Service

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Cinder Complex

Cinder Complex Fire initially started 5:15 p.m. July 24 at Tinnemaha Road and Taboose Creek Road, North of Aberdeen in Inyo County, California.

As of Tuesday evening, it had scorched 2,784 acres. By Tuesday evening, the fire crew succeeded in containing 42% of the fire. At present, details about the cause of the fire are unknown.

Fire containment

Understanding what 42% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 42% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 58% 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