Update: Containment efforts for River Fire in Siskiyou County approach 80%

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Updated: 8:32 p.m. May 6

First discovered: 28 hours ago, 3:55 p.m. May 5

Initial location: Klamath Dutch Road, Klamath River, Siskiyou County, Calif.

Fire unit: Klamath National Forest

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: River Fire

River Fire initially started 3:55 p.m. May 5 on Klamath Dutch Road, Klamath River in Siskiyou County, California.

Since its discovery 28 hours ago, it has burned 16 acres. As of Wednesday evening, a crew of 23 firefighters effectively contained 80% of the fire. However, the cause is still being investigated.

Firefighting efforts include two engines and one hand crew. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."

Fire containment

What does it mean for a fire to be 80% contained?

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 80% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 20% 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

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 9:51 AM.