TRACY – Neighborhoods southwest of Tracy were ordered to evacuate because of the wind-swept Corral Fire that grew explosively Saturday and closed a portion of Interstate Highway 580.
As of Sunday afternoon, Cal Fire said the Corral Fire had grown to 14,000 acres and was 30% contained. In a 1 p.m. update, Cal Fire said crews had made good progress on the fire and had strengthened control lines.
Residents east of Highway 580 between Corral Hollow Road and South Tracy Boulevard were the first to be told to leave by the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services. More evacuation information is available at sjready.org.
A temporary evacuation point was established at the Larch Clover Community Center, located at 11157 W Larch Rd, Tracy, CA 95304.
Zach Matthai
The Corral fire that started east of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Site 300 closed Interstate 580 from Corral Hollow Road to Interstate 5 in both directions, Caltrans said on social media.
Two Alameda County firefighters were taken to local hospitals for treatment of mild to moderate burns, said Cheryl Hurd, a department spokesperson.
Winds in the hills west of Tracy were 20 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, said Dylan Flynn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Winds were expected to continue until after midnight, he said.
The fire, which was first reported at 2:39 p.m., was about 30 hectares in size by 4:45 p.m. As of 7:35 p.m., the fire had grown to 4,920 acres, with 10% contained, Cal Fire said on its website.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, Hurd said.
Site 300, located 15 miles east of the main Lawrence Livermore site, is home to facilities that support the development of explosive materials, as well as hydrodynamic testing and diagnostics, according to the laboratory’s website.
Cal Fire photo
The facility assesses the performance of non-nuclear weapon components through hydrodynamic testing and tests new conventional explosives for use as part of the nuclear stockpile, the laboratory said.
