Unified Fire Authority breaks down commonly used wildfire terms

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Unified Fire Authority clarifies wildfire terms, focusing on containment misconceptions.
Containment refers to the controlled perimeter, not the fire's overall manageability.

MONROE, Sevier County — Utah has several wildfires burning, and with the constant updates, the public is receiving a significant amount of information. The Unified Fire Authority explained several frequently misunderstood fire terms.

Unified fire spokesman Kelly Bird said containment is probably the most misunderstood term associated with every wildfire.

"Containment is just a percentage of the perimeter of the fire that has that control line established, where the fire will not continue progressing to grow in that area," he said. If a fire is 0% contained, it doesn't mean it is uncontrollable.

"Some people might think, 'Are they even doing anything? What's going on?' But it's the resources are being utilized for other types of fire attack," Bird said.

A control line is either natural — like a road or river — or manmade.

"They can bulldoze a wide swath of land," Bird said. When firefighters ask people to create defensible space around their homes, it means protecting them from fire.

"Cut trees back, shrubbery that's up against the house, try and keep it smaller so that it's not creating a bigger fuel source," Bird said.

We're constantly asking what caused a wildfire. Sometimes, investigators can determine the cause; other times, it remains unknown.

"Fire destroys evidence," Bird said. "Investigators are trained to look for clues, look for things that can give them a better idea … They'll bring in their canine dogs."

Bird said human-caused fires could result from various behaviors, including campfires, fireworks and idling cars sitting over a grassy area for an extended period of time. He also said that heavy equipment and gunfire can spark fires.

"It's usually humans making poor choices," he said.

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