Washington Wildfires: What 'Containment' Really Means

Wildfires continue to impact thousands of acres across Washington state as of July 11. Fire departments follow a three-stage process before a wildfire is declared extinguished. The initial stage is containment, where barriers such as roads or natural obstacles are established around the fire's perimeter.

Once containment lines are in place, the next step is control, which means the fire is sufficiently suppressed to prevent further spread. Finally, a fire is declared completely out only after all remaining hot spots and embers have been put out.

Recently, the Chelan Hills fire, which scorched nearly 10,000 acres and destroyed over a dozen homes, was declared out. However, other fires persist in surrounding counties. On Sunday, the Rye Grass Coulee Fire was reported to be 80% contained, while the B&O Fire remained uncontained.