Updated: 10:51 p.m. July 29

First discovered: 9 hours ago, 1:35 p.m. July 29

Initial location: Estrella Road, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire San Luis Obispo Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Estrella Fire

Estrella Fire initially started today at 1:35 p.m. on Estrella Road, Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County, California.

As of Wednesday evening, 35 acres of land had been scorched by it. By Wednesday evening, the fire crew managed to contain 75% of the wildfire. There is currently no information on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

What does 75% containment mean?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 75% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 25% 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