Wildfire burns more than 12,500 acres, prompting evacuations in Central Valley

A wind-driven wildfire in San Joaquin County grew to 12,500 acres overnight, prompting evacuations in some areas, officials said.

The so-called Corral Fire was burning near the town of Tracy, east of San Francisco, and was 15% contained as of Sunday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was reported Saturday afternoon near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, southwest of Tracy. The Environmental Protection Agency describes Site 300 as “an explosives and materials testing site intended to support nuclear weapons research.” The EPA said operations at the site, which began in the 1950s, “have contaminated the soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals,” and that long-term cleanup continues.

The wildfire posed no threat to laboratory facilities or operations and the fire had moved away from the site, Lawrence Livermore spokesman Paul Rhien said in a statement to The Associated Press early Sunday.

“We worked closely with Cal Fire, the Alameda County Fire Department and other emergency service partners throughout the evening,” Rhien said. “As a precautionary measure, we have activated our emergency operations center to monitor the situation throughout the weekend.”

More than 400 firefighters are battling the blaze. Although high winds and dry grass made the fire difficult to contain, officials said in a statement Sunday morning that weather conditions had become “more favorable for firefighters, allowing crews to make progress.”

Interstate 580, which connects the San Francisco Bay Area to San Joaquin County, was closed in both directions, from Corral Hollow Road to Interstate 5, due to heavy smoke, according to the department of California Transportation. Video shared by users on social media site X showed smoke and flames near the roadway.

As the fire continued to grow, it forced evacuations throughout the area. A temporary evacuation center has been established at the Larch Clover Community Center, 11157 W. Larch Rd. in Tracy.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.