Fire Duration & Containment Velocity
Derived metrics computing how fast fires are contained relative to their size. Based on 1404 incidents with both start and extinguishment timestamps.
Fires Analyzed
1,404
With duration data
2025 Median Duration
25.5 hrs
2025 Avg Velocity
22.32 ac/hr
Counties Tracked
56
Median Containment Time by Year
Hours from ignition to extinguishment
Containment Velocity by Year
Acres burned per hour until containment (lower = faster response)
Acres vs. Duration
1,350 fires plotted. Outliers above the trend took disproportionately long to contain. Durations capped at 90 days (batch administrative closures excluded).
Median Containment Time by County
Top 20 counties by incident count
Slowest Containment Relative to Size
Fires with the highest duration-to-acre ratio (potential response bottlenecks)
| Fire | County | Year | Acres | Duration | Hrs/Acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powellton Fire | Butte | 2018 | 10 | 1941 hrs | 194.1 |
| Tower Fire | Shasta | 2018 | 12 | 1970 hrs | 164.2 |
| Milton Fire | Stanislaus | 2017 | 13 | 1993 hrs | 153.3 |
| Iron Gate Fire | Siskiyou | 2018 | 15 | 2051 hrs | 136.7 |
| Green Hill Fire | Humboldt | 2018 | 10 | 1263 hrs | 126.3 |
| Bear Fire | Santa Cruz | 2018 | 10 | 1174 hrs | 117.4 |
| Soda Fire | San Luis Obispo | 2017 | 21 | 1945 hrs | 92.6 |
| Rincon Fire | Santa Cruz | 2018 | 17 | 1475 hrs | 86.8 |
| Wilson Fire | San Diego | 2017 | 25 | 2064 hrs | 82.5 |
| York Fire | Monterey | 2017 | 31 | 2063 hrs | 66.5 |
| Niles Fire | Alameda | 2018 | 20 | 1218 hrs | 60.9 |
| Morgan Fire | Contra Costa | 2018 | 20 | 1195 hrs | 59.8 |
| Masonic Fire | Shasta | 2018 | 38 | 1965 hrs | 51.7 |
| Shirleon Fire | Riverside | 2024 | 15 | 758 hrs | 50.5 |
| Freeway Fire | San Bernardino | 2017 | 40 | 1851 hrs | 46.3 |