California Wildfires 2017 Latest News: Anaheim Canyon Fire Fully Contained; Tubbs, Atlas Fires to Follow

By Denise See, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The Anaheim Hills Canyon Fire has now been fully contained.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the wildfire was revealed to be 100 percent contained on Tuesday. It is currently unknown what caused the fire, though the Anaheim Fire Department is already conducting an investigation.

Last week, it was reported that the Canyon Fire had burned through 6,000 acres and about 24 structures. Now, Orange Country Fire Authority Captain Larry Kurtz has revealed that the numbers have increased, with the enormous blaze destroying over 9,200 acres of land and almost 60 homes.

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And while the containment of the fires is definitely good news, it has also been revealed that an inmate firefighter is missing. Armando Castillo, 31, apparently walked away as the flames were being contained. On track to be released on probation in May 2018, Castillo was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a firearm and driving recklessly while evading a peace officer.

Meanwhile, the wildfires in the Napa and Sonoma counties are still being battled by firefighters. According to CNBC, state firefighting agency Cal Fire is optimistic that the Tubbs and Atlas fires would be quelled by Friday this week. On Monday, the Tubbs fire was already 75 percent contained, while the Atlas fire was 70 percent contained.

The weather was one of the main factors that contributed to the strength of the fires. Firefighters had a hard time battling the flames due to strong winds. Thankfully, the winds eventually lightened. 11,000 firefighters were required to combat the fires. 

So far, the blazes have swept through 213,000 acres of land and killed at least 41 people. However, it is believed that the number of deaths will rise due to some 88 Sonoma Country residents that are still missing. 

Residents in the area were evacuated in order to keep them safe from the flames. It is expected that more evacuees will be allowed to return to their respective homes soon.