Updated: 8:39 a.m. July 6

First discovered: 3 days ago, 9:56 p.m. July 3

Initial location: Franklin Canyon Road, Martinez, Contra Costa County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Franklin Fire

Franklin Fire initially started 9:56 p.m. July 3 on Franklin Canyon Road, Martinez in Contra Costa County, California.

By Monday morning, it had consumed 10.6 acres. As of Monday morning, the fire crew succeeded in containing 90% of the wildfire. At present, there are no details on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

Interpreting what 90% containment means

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: Cal Fire