Firefighters on Sunday were gaining ground against a blaze about 60 miles east of San Francisco that had torched more than 20 square miles.
Thousands of residents near Tracy, a 100,000-population central California city, had to evacuate and one home burned down. The inferno started Saturday on land managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and was 50% contained by Sunday evening, officials said. Evacuation orders were eased to warnings late Sunday afternoon.
Two major highways were closed down during the worst of it, but were back in operation by Sunday afternoon. County and state water authorities issued a boil-water advisory as a precaution.
Calm winds and milder weather kept the fire from growing on Sunday, but the National Weather Service predicted “dangerously hot conditions” later in the week, with temperatures potentially reaching 108 degrees in the San Joaquin Valley, where Tracy lies.
The fire began around 2:30 p.m. in the grassy lands managed by the lab, which is a major center for nuclear research founded during the height of the Cold War. Authorities were investigating the cause as of Sunday evening. The lab and its operations were not affected, authorities said.
Two firefighters were expected to make a full recovery after suffering mild to moderate burns, said CalFire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira. Neighboring Stockton, the county seat and about 20 miles north of Tracy, provided support.
“Praying for our Tracy neighbors and first responders,” Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln said on X. “The City of Stockton is providing mutual-aid to the City of Tracy covering a firehouse while they are fighting the Corral Fire.”
The California Department of Forestry and Protection recently suspended burn permits in several counties, including western San Joaquin County, noting that there had been 1,200 wildfires this year alone.
With News Wire Services
