Containment reaches 100% for 14,000-acre wildfire southwest of Tracy

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – Containment of the Corral Fire in San Joaquin County reached 100% on Thursday evening as all evacuation warnings expired Monday evening.

The fire burned 14,168 acres after it broke out near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, southwest of Tracy, on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., Cal Fire said.

The fire jumped Corral Hollow Road and reached I-580. It then burned south, past the Tracy Golf and Country Club and to Lane Tree Creek where it hopped Interstate 580 and reached Bird Road, near the Granite Construction Vernalis Plant.

It also jumped I-580 south of South Tracy Boulevard and burned between the interstate and the aqueduct, according to a Cal Fire map.

One home was destroyed despite a neighbor saying he tried to protect it from the fire.

In pictures shared on social media by Cal Fire, hills once filled with dry grass can be seen burnt. In one photo, Cal Fire captured a photo of a home that was saved as the fire burned around it.

The first Type 1 Large Airtanker of the year was deployed to help fight the fire. The airtanker took off from the Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit's McClellan Airtanker Base. 

More than 400 personnel have been assigned to fight the Corral Fire. Crews said conditions became favorable for firefighters and allowed crews to make progress on control lines. 

Alameda Fire also responded to the fire. Earlier this week, they completed a series of controlled burns in this same area for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. However, both agencies told CBS13 that the Corral Fire is not connected to these burns.

"LLNL recently completed a series of controlled burns to eliminate dangerous dry grass areas and provide buffer zones around Site 300 buildings. The Corral Fire is not related to the controlled burns," a spokesperson for LLNL, Breanna Bishop, said in a statement to CBS13. "There are no current threats to any Laboratory facilities and operations."

She added that LLNL's emergency operations center is monitoring the situation throughout the weekend.

Evacuations

San Joaquin County announced that evacuation warnings were lifted as of 6 p.m. Monday.

An evacuation warning had remained in place for people living east of I-580 between Corral Hollow Road and S. Tracy Boulevard, according to the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services. This is also known as SJC 210.

The warning also included southwest of Vernalis Road to the Tracy Golf and County Club on the east side of I-580, and the Tesla Treatment Facility, also known as SJC211.

SJC215 was also under an evacuation warning. This included an area southwest of I-580, just north of I-5. 

The most southwestern point of San Joaquin County had also been under a warning. This was between I-580 and the California Aqueduct, south of Corral Hollow Creek to Alameda County and south to Stanislaus County, are in warning. These areas are known as SJC213, SJC212 and SJC199.

"San Joaquin Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office have done a good job staying up to date with evacuation orders," said Josh Silveira, Battalion Chief for Cal Fire, in a statement to CBS13. "We are working closely with them. They have been great collaborators in keeping folks safe."

Temporary evacuation location

A temporary evacuation location was set up at the Larch Clover Community Center at 11157 W. Larch Road in Tracy.

A large animal shelter was also established at the Manteca Unified School District located at 2271 W Louise Avenue in Manteca.

Winds 

After a gusty Saturday evening fueled the fire, winds died down to start Sunday but picked up again in the evening. Gusts could reach up to 40 mph Sunday evening near Tracy. 

As for temperatures, it's been mildly warm. Into early and mid-week, temperatures are expected to rise as much of the valley could see triple-digit heat, creating a major heat risk. 

Road conditions

Westbound I-580 reopened around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Traffic on eastbound I-580 was reduced to one lane from Corral Hollow Road to South Bird Road, according to the Caltrans website, but fully reopened at 8 p.m.

Highway 132 reopened from the junction with I-580 to the junction with I-5, after being closed from Saturday night to late Sunday morning. A spokesperson for California Highway Patrol said the ramp was closed at Corral Hollow Road onto eastbound I-580 but that reopened in the evening Sunday.

Road closures will remain in place for nonresidents on South Corral Hollow Road and Chrisman Road south on I-580.

Injuries

Cal Fire said two firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor to moderate burns. They are expected to make a full recovery. 

What caused the fire is under investigation, though Alameda Fire says that wind may be a factor. 

In:
• Stanislaus County
• San Joaquin County
• Tracy