Updated: 5:23 p.m. May 25

First discovered: 1 week ago, 3:39 p.m. May 18

Initial location: Kern County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Democrat

Democrat Fire initially started 3:39 p.m. May 18 at Lower Kern River Canyon.

Since its discovery a week ago, it has burned 895 acres of federal land managed by the United States Forest Service. As of Sunday evening, a crew of 22 firefighters succeeded in containing 90% of the fire. It is still unclear what caused the fire. So far, managing the wildfire has required $2,000,000 in expenses.

Tall grass, measuring 2.5 feet, is the main fuel for this fire.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 90% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 90% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 10% 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