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A wildfire in San Joaquin county has reached 12,500 acres and was just 15% contained as of Sunday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The so-called Corral Fire was identified as 30 acres when it was reported late Saturday afternoon near the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, southwest of Tracy.
The Environmental Protection Agency describes Site 300 as “high-explosives and materials testing site in support of nuclear weapons research.” The EPA said operations at the site, which began in the 1950s, “contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals,” and long-term cleanup remains ongoing.
The wildfire presented no threats to any laboratory facilities or operations and the fire had moved away from the site, Lawrence Livermore spokesperson Paul Rhien said in a statement to The Associated Press early Sunday.
“We have been working in close partnership with Cal Fire, Alameda County Fire Dept, and other emergency services partners throughout the evening,” Rhien said. “As a precaution, we have activated our emergency operations center to monitor the situation through the weekend.”
Strong winds and dry grass have made the fire difficult to contain, officials said.
Interstate 580, which connects the San Francisco Bay Area to San Joaquin County in central California, was closed in both directions from Corral Hollow Road to Interstate 5 due to the lack of visibility from the smoke, the California Department of Transportation said in a statement.
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 California Department of Transportation. Video shared by users on the social media site X showed smoke and flames near the roadway.
As the fire continued to grow, it forced evacuations throughout the area. The cause is under investigation.
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