AM Update: What does containment mean?
A fire that's contained may still burn for several months — even underground.
The word containment is familiar to anyone who has dealt with or monitored wildfires over the last few years. It’s a commonly used phrase by fire officials to illustrate how controlled — or out of control — a fire is burning in a given area.
But a contained wildfire is not the same thing as an extinguished wildfire. A contained fire is one where crews have built a controlled perimeter around the wildfire in an effort to keep it from spreading to other areas. These type of barriers are known as containment lines, and they typically take the form of deep 10- or 15-foot trenches that are dug ahead of an advancing wildfire.
These trenches are effective — they clear potential burn areas of fuels that could trigger new fires or allow an existing one to spread rapidly. But they’re not foolproof: On rare occasions, fires are known to jump containment lines, as the Morgan Fire did in 2013.
Even when fires are contained, they often continue to burn in areas where the fire was already present. Since the LNU Lightning Complex was contained in Solano County, fire crews have responded to numerous calls about smouldering trees and flare-ups in fields throughout rural Fairfield, Vacaville and Winters.
A good way to think about containment is to equate the word with control. As of Sunday evening, the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire was 55 percent contained, meaning it’s about halfway controlled overall. Active fire continues to burn in pockets of Lake County and Yolo County, though firefighters are quickly gaining ground in those areas, too.
It isn’t unreasonable to think the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire will soon be fully contained — possibly, by some estimates, within the next two or three weeks. But full containment doesn’t mean the fire’s been completely put out — it can continue to flare up in spots and even burn underground for weeks and months into the future.
Fast Facts
375,209 acres burned
63 percent contained
2,839 firefighters, 43 crews assigned to fire
1,209 structures destroyed across six counties
268 single-family homes destroyed in Solano County
5 commercial buildings destroyed in Solano County
117 homes and other buildings damaged in Solano County
5 fatalities, 4 injuries confirmed
Public information line: 1-707-967-4207
Information accurate as of Monday, August 31 at 11 a.m. PDT
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LNU Solano is not affiliated with Solano County or any public safety agency. During times of crisis, always follow the direction of law enforcement and other public safety officials. Plan ahead for wildfires at www.readyforwildfire.org.