Blaze in Sonoma County wine country fully contained

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say a massive wildfire that destroyed hundreds of homes and other buildings and led to the evacuation of thousands of people in Sonoma County wine country has been fully contained.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the blaze that destroyed 174 homes and 200 other buildings was 100 % contained as of Wednesday night.

The blaze ignited on Oct. 23 and led to the mandatory evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. It charred 121 square miles (313 square kilometer).

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but there was a possibility that electrical equipment belonging to Pacific Gas & Electric was involved.

The utility had switched off power to prevent fires from starting but it didn’t de-energize a transmission tower near where the fire started.