Updated: 7:02 p.m. Aug. 17

First discovered: 5 hours ago, 1:59 p.m. Aug. 17

Initial location: Hadley Road and Rose Bud Lane, North Fork, Madera County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Hadley Fire

Hadley Fire initially started today at 1:59 p.m. in Madera County, California.

Since its discovery five hours ago, it has burned 12.7 acres. A fire crew of 110 succeeded in containing 25% of the fire as of Sunday evening. However, the cause is still being investigated.

The fire is fought by 14 engines, five water tenders, two helicopters, two dozers and three hand crews. According to Cal Fire, “Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow.”

Fire containment

Understanding what 25% containment means

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