What it means to contain the LA fires

Deadly wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area as firefighters battle windy conditions to contain the out-of-control flames.

But what does it mean to “contain” a wildfire?

Containment does not mean that a fire is completely extinguished. Rather, it refers to how much of a perimeter has been established around an active fire, preventing it from growing and consuming more land.

Fire crews aim to suppress a wildfire by creating containment lines around it—either with roads and highways or natural barriers such as rivers or other waterways—that are intended to surround the flames and prevent them from spreading.

Containment lines can also be constructed by digging wide trenches around a fire’s flank or by removing vegetation and other “fuel” in the immediate area that can ignite.

Fire suppression is usually given as a percentage indicating the extent to which a fire has been contained, according to the Western Fire Master’s Associationa nonprofit group of leaders of fire organizations across the western US states and the Pacific Islands.

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The largest of the fires in the Greater Los Angeles area is the Palisades Fire, which ignited nearly a week ago in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu neighborhoods. The fire has burned more than 23,000 acres and is only 14% contained as of Monday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This means that the fire service has established containment lines around 14% of the perimeter.

Meanwhile, the Eaton fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena, is 33% contained. The Hurst fire, which burned nearly 800 acres in the Sylmar neighborhood, is 95% contained, according to Cal Fire.

While containment is a good indicator of how firefighting efforts are progressing, situations can change as wildfires develop or if environmental conditions improve or worsen.

In Southern California, for example, Santa Ana winds are expected to cause critical fire conditions over the next three days in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Dry and windy conditions often help existing fires grow and are favorable for new ignitions to spread quickly.

However, fully contained fires can continue to burn for some time. However, the key strategy is to eliminate the threat of fires jumping the containment lines.