Updated: 5:37 p.m. July 17

First discovered: 39 hours ago, 2:32 a.m. July 16

Initial location: Antelope Road and Highway 41, Shandon, Kern County, Calif.

Fire unit: Kern County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Cotton Fire

Cotton Fire initially started 2:32 a.m. July 16 at Antelope Road and Highway 41, Shandon in Kern County, California.

By Friday evening, 120 acres of land had been scorched by it. As of Friday evening, 56% of the wildfire was brought under containment. At this time, there are no details on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

This is what 56% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 56% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 44% 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