An inmate who was assigned to work on the Canyon Fire 2 in Orange County walked away from his post Sunday, corrections department officials said.
Armando Castillo, 31, was working near Peters Canyon Regional Park in Orange when he was last seen at 4:45 p.m. Sunday.
Officials did a routine count of the inmates and realized Castillo was not accounted for, CDCR spokesman Bill Sessa told KTLA.
The fire, which started Oct. 9, was contained at 65 percent contained at 9,217 acres as of Friday. Full containment of the blaze is expected Tuesday, officials said.
He is a minimum-security inmate assigned to Oak Glen Conservation Camp in Yucaipa, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is serving a five-year sentence for possession of a firearm and evading a peace officer while driving recklessly, and was scheduled to be released on probation next May.
CDCR officials, along with the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and local law enforcement agencies have been notified of Castillo’s escape and are assisting in the search.
He is described as being about 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs about 191 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.
Sessa said that this is a rare occurrence of an inmate walking off, but most of the time the inmate is located quickly.
Anyone who has seen Castillo or has information about him should notify police immediately.
KTLA’s Alexandria Hernandez contributed to this story.