VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Crews are working to surround a wildfire at a central California Air Force base that forced the postponement of a weekend satellite launch.

KSBY-TV reports Tuesday that the blaze at Vandenberg Air Force Base expanded to the south as it grew to more than 16 square miles. It is 18 percent contained.

Voluntary evacuation orders are in place for about 400 residents of the San Miguelito Canyon area just off the base near Lompoc.

There is no word of any structures threatened on the sprawling base, much of which is undeveloped and rugged mountain land.

Nearly 800 firefighters were deployed to corral the fire when it broke out Sunday in a remote canyon. The cause is under investigation.

Col. Paul Nosek said on the base's Facebook page that the fire didn't threaten the space launch complex.

In this Monday, Sept. 19, 2016 photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a fire burns several miles behind Space Launch Complex-3, housing the Atlas V rocket & WorldView 4 satellite, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Crews are working to surround the wildfire at the central California Air Force base that forced the postponement of a weekend satellite launch. The blaze has expanded to the south as it grew to more than 16 square miles. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)

A fire burns several miles behind Space Launch Complex-3, housing the Atlas V rocket & WorldView 4 satellite, on Sept. 19, 2016, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Photo Credit: Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP

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