Update: Iona Fire in Los Angeles County at nearly full containment

The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy here.

Updated: 6:42 p.m. April 18

First discovered: 49 hours ago, 4:54 p.m. April 16

Initial location: Avenue H & 60th Street East, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, Calif.

Fire unit: LA County Fire Department

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Iona Fire

Iona Fire initially started 4:54 p.m. April 16 at Avenue H & 60th Street East, Lancaster in Los Angeles County, California.

After being active for two days, it has burned 92.4 acres. By Saturday evening, 97% of the fire was brought under containment. However, the cause is still under investigation.

Fire containment

This is what 97% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 97% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 3% 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

United Robots Sacramento