Crews increased containment while halting the growth of a wildfire burning in rugged land at a central California military base, authorities said Thursday. The blaze at Vandenberg Air Force Base was 70 percent contained, and base officials said they were hopeful that number would go up throughout the day. The fire that broke out in a remote canyon and forced the postponement of a satellite launch was holding steady at about 19 square miles after several days of growth. Vandenberg encompasses nearly 156 square miles (405 sq. A wind-whipped fire in 1977 killed the base commander, the base fire chief, an assistant chief and a bulldozer operator.

Source: Fox News September 22, 2016 19:52 UTC