Updated: 5:01 p.m. Sep. 25

First discovered: Almost two months ago, 1:57 p.m. Aug. 1

Initial location: Santa Barbara County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Gifford

Gifford Fire initially started 1:57 p.m. Aug. 1 in Santa Barbara County, 15 Miles From Santa Maria.

It has burned 131,612 acres of private land after being active for almost two months. A crew of 121 firefighters succeeded in containing 98% of the fire as of Thursday evening. The cause remains undetermined. To date, the expenses for addressing this fire stand at $212,000,000.

The primary fuel for this wildfire is 2.5-foot tall grass.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 98% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 98% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 2% 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