Wildfire containment refers to fire crews creating a control line around the fire’s perimeter, effectively preventing an active fire from spreading further.
You may have seen the phrase “wildfire containment” recently in the news when referring to the Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire or Palisades Fire. Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one has suffered losses or evacuation costs due to a wildfire, including the Eaton, Hurst or Palisades Fires. Our lawyers can help you recover compensation for your losses and evacuation costs, and won’t charge any fee until and unless we obtain a recovery for you.
What Does Wildfire Containment Mean?
Wildfire containment is when firefighters establish a control line surrounding the perimeter of a fire. This prevents it from spreading. When containment is announced, it means firefighters believe the fire cannot spread past the control line. A fire might still be burning inside the perimeter. When containment lines are established around the entire perimeter of a fire, the fire is surrounded and thus unable to expand past control lines thanks to the firefighting efforts.
Key points regarding fire containment:
- Not extinguished: A fire is not necessarily put out when it is contained – its spread has simply been stopped.
- Percentage based: Fire officials often refer to the percentage of a fire which is contained. This indicates the percentage of the fire perimeter which has been surrounded by the control line.
- Control line creation: Those who fight fires create control lines when they dig trenches, remove vegetation, utilize controlled burns or use natural barriers such as rivers to prevent a fire’s spread. A fire line is a man-made firebreak which firefighters create.
- Still active inside: When fires are fully contained they might still have unburned vegetation or hot spots which burn inside the perimeter and need additional attention. The danger has not necessarily passed once a fire is contained.
- Containment can be breached: Factors such as wind and embers can lead to spot fires jumping containment lines.
How Is Wildfire Containment Measured?
Wildfire containment gets measured on the ground, utilizing tools like GPS and topographic maps, in addition to overhead, utilizing planes which have infrared cameras, according to UC Berkeley.
On-ground fire management teams are regularly provided information by NASA and NOAA satellite teams as well as aircraft teams from the U.S. Forest Service.
However, superior detection doesn’t always mean faster containment. The speed at which a fire gets contained is determined by numerous factors, like wind direction and speed, moisture content and landscape.
Fire Containment vs. Control
When a fire is contained, a perimeter is established around the fire beyond which firefighters don’t believe the fire will spread. When a fire is controlled, that means that the fire within the control line as well as all spot fires therefrom have been put out. The fire has been completely extinguished.
It can take a long time for a fire to be controlled, especially wildfires which cover a lot of miles. In addition to handling primary fires, firefighters have to manage any spot fires as well as try to eliminate or prevent flare-ups.
Once a fire is controlled by firefighters, it doesn’t mean all is safe. Officials can’t say a fire until all remaining hot spots cooled down. Hot spots are not terribly dangerous by themselves, but if firefighters leave, something may occur involving brush ending up in a hot spot, leading to the hot spots becoming immediate threats and another fire starting. These areas need to be monitored to make sure a fire doesn’t return.
After a fire is contained, firefighters will continue to strengthen the control perimeter by removing unburnt fuel which surrounds the fire. It is important to remove this fuel to make sure the fire can’t escape the perimeter. Strong gusts can catch embers and keep fires going.
What Does It Mean When a Fire Is 0% Contained?
When fires are listed as 0 percent contained, this means that no control lines have been established by firefighters around its perimeter. This signifies the fire is totally out of control and spreading actively without barriers to slow its progression. The fire is essentially not being contained and is considered a very high-risk situation. The firefighters are still probably in the early stages of response efforts and no control measures like water or barriers have been able to halt the fire’s progression.
What Does 20% Contained Mean?
When a fire is 20 percent contained, this means control lines have been established by firefighters around 20 percent of the fire’s perimeter. This indicates firefighters are confident that the fire will not spread beyond that 20 percent, although the fire could still be burning inside the perimeter. It doesn’t mean the fire has been 20 percent extinguished.
Containment percentages may fluctuate depending upon fire behavior and weather conditions.
What Does 100% Containment Mean?
When a fire is 100 percent contained, it means control lines have been established by firefighters around a fire’s entire perimeter. This effectively stops the spread of the fire, preventing the fire from further expanding. It doesn’t mean the fire is totally extinguished. It simply means the fire has been fully encircled and is contained within an area which is defined.
How Long Does It Take for a Fire to Be Contained?
The amount of time required to contain a wildfire will vary greatly depending upon the fire’s size, weather conditions, available resources, available fuel, wind, number of firefighters and terrain difficulty. However, it can generally take from a few days to numerous weeks for a fire to be fully contained. Smaller fires can possibly get contained more quickly and complex, large wildfires can take significantly longer.
When to Call a Wildfire Lawyer
Call us today for a free case evaluation if you or a loved one has suffered losses or evacuation costs due to a wildfire. We can determine if any parties are liable for your losses and, if we identify a liable party, we can file a lawsuit on your behalf seeking compensation for your losses.
We have represented thousands of wildfire victims and will only charge a percentage of any recovery we obtain as our fee. No fee will be charged if we don’t recover compensation for you. Call us today for a free consultation.
