Two firefighters were injured battling the blaze that broke out near a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory site south of Tracy on Saturday afternoon.
High winds fueled the Corral Fire overnight, sending it closer to a neighborhood south of Tracy. Emergency officials on Sunday evening lifted the evacuation order affecting 200 homes near Tracy, as firefighters continued to battle the Corral Fire that started Saturday afternoon and grew to more than 14,000 acres Sunday, the region’s first major blaze of the season and California’s largest of the year.
“Yesterday we were seeing 30- to 40-mile-an-hour sustained winds and 60-mile-an-hour gusts, and when you get winds that are that high they move a grass fire very quickly,” said Cal Fire spokeswoman Cecile Juliette. On Saturday firefighters “weren’t even able to make a direct attack,” but on Sunday, “they took advantage of the better weather conditions,” Juliette said. “They really made a lot of headway.
The home, which burned largely to the ground, sat in front of hills burned completely black, between houses apparently untouched by fire. Two charred palm trees stood at the entrance to the driveway of the ruined home, which held several burned-out cars. Melted fencing lined the property’s edge. After I-580 was closed from I-205 to I-5 overnight and most of the morning, eastbound 580’s left lane and the westbound lanes reopened before noon, but the right lane remained closed from Corral Hollow Road to South Bird Road in San Joaquin County. At 6 p.m. Sunday, all eastbound lanes were open.
“Most people are stopping by here before checking into hotels or finding their own accommodations,” Vigil said.On Sunday evening, Cal Fire announced that the evacuation order would be lifted at 6 p.m., although the 200 affected homes remained under an evacuation warning, with residents urged to remain vigilant and prepared for the situation to potentially change.
Those with large animals who need to evacuate can bring them to the Manteca Unified School District at 2271 W. Louise Ave in Manteca. To make matters worse, the wildfire broke out along the Altamont Pass, where winds pick up speed as they squeeze through the tight canyon.Officials are advising drivers to avoid the area.
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