Updated: 4:41 p.m. Sep. 15

First discovered: 2 weeks ago, 12:34 p.m. Sep. 1

Initial location: Shasta County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Root

Root Fire initially started 12:34 p.m. Sep. 1 in Shasta County, 6 Miles Sw From Dunsmuir.

It has burned 729 acres of private land after being active for two weeks. A fire crew of 66 succeeded in containing 97% of the fire as of Monday afternoon. Human activity is thought to be the cause of the wildfire, but the precise action that ignited it has yet to be identified. So far, the cost for combating this fire amounts to $8,420,004.

The primary sources of fuel for this wildfire are timber, litter and understory.

Historic data

Human activity led to 8,011 fires in California in 2024, according to NIFC data, resulting in 990,939 acres of wildland burned.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 97% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 97% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 3% 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