Update: 4,400 acres affected by Elephant Fire in Sierra County, continues to expand

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Updated: 6:08 a.m. July 12

First discovered: 15 hours ago, 2:58 p.m. July 11

Initial location: North of Loyalton and Highway 49, Loyalton, Sierra County, Calif.

Fire unit: Tahoe National Forest

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Elephant Fire

Elephant Fire initially started 2:58 p.m. July 11 north of North of Loyalton and Highway 49, Loyalton in Sierra County, California.

By Sunday morning, it had consumed 4,400 acres. As of Sunday morning, the blaze continues to spread uncontrolled. At present, there are no details on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

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 July 12, 2026 at 6:30 AM.