Crews handle 14,000-acre Corral Fire thanks to statewide effort
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - The Corral Fire in San Joaquin County that scorched over 14,000 acres and threatened hundreds of homes is now almost fully contained.
Fire crews have worked nonstop through the weekend to bring containment up to 90% as of Tuesday, and it could grow even more in the coming days.
Some of the fire engines that are assigned to the Corral Fire in San Joaquin County traveled more than 100 miles to get there. In total, over a dozen units and agencies came together to put this fire out.
Fire crews on Monday were keeping a close eye on the fire after flames ripped through the area over the weekend. The burn scar of the 14,128 acres is more visible now that the smoke has subsided, but the wind was sticking around.
"The wind that is here. You never want to get complacent," Cecile Juliette said. "The wind could come along and kick up embers and send it over the containment line."
Juliette is with Cal Fire's Santa Cruz (SCU) unit that overlooks San Joaquin County and said the firefight was tough because of the high brush and fast-moving winds.
"Across Northern California, the vegetation is becoming more cured and brown, so it's a good idea for everybody to just be on their guard," she said.
Cal Fire had to be on their guard. Through their mutual aid program, firefighters from all over the state answered the call to assist in the firefight.
Some came from as close as Alameda County and Oakland, while others as far south as Fresno and Kings counties, and even as far as Coalinga, which is 135 miles away from Tracy.
"Mutual aid is so important, and every time you see an incident, most of the time, you're going to see a variety of crews responding," Juliette said.
Juliette added that without mutual aid, this fire could've turned out completely different.
"At least 12 units responded to come and help Cal Fire SCU with this fire, so that's a really big deal," she said.
That's not even counting the other at least four local agencies that jumped into action outside of Tracy, saving hundreds of homes and thousands more acres from burning.
While containment is up, the wind remains the biggest concern. Firefighters are retracing their steps to make sure nothing can start another fire outside the containment lines.
