Update: Elephant Fire in Sierra County 88% contained, 13,915.5 acres burned

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Updated: 5:28 p.m. July 18

First discovered: 1 week ago, 12:58 a.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 12:58 a.m. July 11 in North of Loyalton and Highway 49, Loyalton in Sierra County, California.

By Saturday evening, it had destroyed 13,915.5 acres. As of Saturday evening, the fire crew effectively contained 88% of this wildfire. Currently, there are no details on the cause of the fire.

Fire containment

This is what 88% containment means

The percentage indicates how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 88% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 12% 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 July 18, 2026 at 3:46 PM.