Updated: 4:35 p.m. Sep. 2

First discovered: 84 days ago, 4:52 p.m. June 10

Initial location: Fairlane, Yreka, Siskiyou County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Siskiyou Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Sku Early June Lightning Complex

The wildfire initially started 4:52 p.m. June 10 in Siskiyou County, California.

After being active for 84 days, the wildfire has burned 108.1 acres. As of Tuesday afternoon, the blaze has been fully contained. It is suspected that the fire was caused by a lightning strike.

Historic data

According to NIFC figures for 2024, lightning-induced fires in California numbered 305, scorching 90,206 acres of wildland.

Fire containment

What does 100% containment mean?

Note that full containment doesn’t mean the fire is completely out. In this case, it means that the whole perimeter of the wildfire has been surrounded by a control line and it is now stopped from spreading. A fully contained wildfire may continue to burn within the containment perimeter but is not likely to spread.

However, there’s a significant difference between containing and controlling a wildfire. After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it. Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can’t spread or cross the containment line.

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