Updated: 3:03 p.m. July 30

First discovered: 27 days ago, 11:20 a.m. July 3

Initial location: Siskiyou County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Marble Complex

Marble Complex Incident initially started 11:20 a.m. July 3 in Siskiyou County, 16 Miles W From Etna.

It has burned 747 acres of federal land managed by the United States Forest Service after being active for 27 days. By Wednesday afternoon, the fire crew managed to contain 90% of this wildfire. The cause remains undetermined. So far, the expenses for addressing the fire amount to $100,000.

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 contained 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