How wildfire containment works: What it means to contain the L.A. fires
Deadly wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area as firefighters battle windy conditions to contain the blazes. But what does it mean to “contain” a wildfire?
Deadly wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area, as firefighters battle windy conditions to contain the out-of-control blazes.
But what does it mean to “contain” a wildfire?
Containment does not mean that a blaze has been completely extinguished. Rather, it refers to how much of a perimeter has been established around an active fire, preventing it from growing and engulfing 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 meant to surround the flames and stop them from spreading.
Containment lines can also be constructed, by digging wide trenches around a fire’s flank or by eliminating vegetation and other “fuel” in the immediate area that could ignite.
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