As of Sunday evening, firefighters have managed to contain 50% of the Corral Fire, which has burned over 14,000 acres.
Firefighters made significant progress on Sunday in controlling the wildfire, which had been driven by strong winds, scorched thousands of acres, and destroyed a home near Tracy. Residents in the area were forced to evacuate.
CalFire reported that the cause of the fire, which started Saturday afternoon in the grassy hills managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is still under investigation.
Although the research center itself is not under immediate threat, the fire, named the Corral Fire, has spread over 22 square miles by Sunday afternoon.
Thousands of residents, including parts of Tracy with a population of 100,000, were ordered to evacuate on Saturday. Approximately 200 families were asked to leave their homes.
By Sunday evening, the evacuation order was downgraded to a warning, allowing residents to return home but remain prepared to leave if necessary.
Two firefighters suffered minor to moderate burns on Saturday and are expected to recover. As of Sunday evening, they remain hospitalized.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory spokesperson Paul Rhien confirmed that no laboratory facilities were threatened and that emergency operations were activated to monitor the situation.
The fire forced the closure of two major highways, including an interstate that connects the San Francisco Bay Area to San Joaquin County, but these had reopened by Sunday afternoon.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services issued evacuation orders for areas west of the California Aqueduct, south of Corral Hollow Creek, west to Alameda County, and south to Stanislaus County.
A temporary evacuation center was set up at Larch Clover Community Center in Tracy. These orders were downgraded to warnings after 6 p.m. Sunday.
One home on Bernard Drive near Tracy was destroyed. Travis Curtiss of Manteca said his parents, Chris and Stevan Curtiss, who had lived there for 35 years, evacuated safely with their pets. They were only able to grab essentials before leaving.
Residents in the surrounding neighborhood expressed shock at how quickly the flames spread. "We thought it was fine behind the hill, then the wind picked up and it just flew," said 14-year-old Monte Maniz, whose family had to evacuate.
Sunday’s high temperature in Tracy was expected to reach 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with no rain in the forecast.
However, hotter conditions and “dangerously hot” temperatures of 103 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit are expected later in the week, along with wind gusts of up to 45 mph.
The community remains on alert as firefighters continue their efforts to fully contain the blaze and protect homes and lives.