Crews contain wildfire in O.C.

As Canyon 2 fire was dying down, inmate firefighter walked away and remains at large, authorities say.

The wildfire that scorched thousands of acres in northeast Orange County was declared fully contained Tuesday morning, but authorities were still searching for a prisoner who walked away from an inmate firefighting crew that helped battle the blaze.

The Canyon 2 fire burned more than 9,200 acres and destroyed or damaged nearly 60 homes in the Anaheim Hills neighborhood, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. The blaze also temporarily shut down the Highway 241 toll road that connects Orange County to the inland empire.

Four firefighters suffered minor injuries, Kurtz said. No civilians were reported injured.

As the fire was dying down, 31-year-old inmate Armando Castillo disappeared. Castillo, who was serving a five-year sentence for possession of a firearm and driving recklessly while evading a peace officer, was assigned to a crew of inmates assisting the firefighting effort near Peters Canyon Regional Park, authorities said. He had been scheduled to be released on probation in May 2018.

Castillo, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs about 190 pounds, was last seen Sunday at 4:45 p.m., before the firefighting inmates returned to their camp in San Bernardino.

About 60 personnel still are checking for hot spots near the fire’s perimeter, Kurtz said. The cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Anaheim Fire Department, he said.