Updated: 8:59 a.m. June 27

First discovered: 6 days ago, 3:32 p.m. June 21

Initial location: Highway 178 near Lake Isabella, Kern County, Calif.

Fire unit: Sequoia National Forest

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Sandy Fire

Sandy Fire initially started 3:32 p.m. June 21 on Highway 178 near Lake Isabella in Kern County, California.

It has burned 99 acres after being active for six days. By Saturday morning, the fire crew effectively contained 80% of the wildfire. The cause is, however, still being investigated.

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 80% contained?

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 80% of the wildfire is halted from spreading, while 20% 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