Officials are asking residents in a neighborhood south of Tracy to evacuate as a wildfire in the area grew to over 8,800 acres, closing parts of Interstate 580 on Saturday evening.
Residents living east of I-580 between Corral Hollow Road and South Tracy Boulevard should leave the area, the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services said Saturday around 7 p.m. A temporary evacuation site is being established at the Larch Clover Community Center at 11157 W. Larch Road in Tracy.
Residents south of Tracy Boulevard should also be prepared to leave, officials said.
High winds are leading to the quick growth of the fire. In a little over an hour, it grew from 4,900 acres on Saturday as of 7:40 p.m. to 8,800 acres as of 8:50 p.m, according to CalFire.
The Corral Fire broke out Saturday around 2:40 p.m. near the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, southwest of Tracy.
The fire, reported earlier this afternoon as 40% contained, had been downgraded to just 10% contained as of 8:50 p.m. on Saturday evening, CalFire reported.
High westerly winds fueled the fire Saturday, pushing it eastward toward Tracy and Stockton, said Craig Shoemaker, meteorologist NWS Sacramento. Gusts of 40 miles per hour have been blowing throughout the day.
To make matters worse, the wildfire broke out along the Corral Hollow Road canyon, where winds accelerate as they squeeze through a tight area.
“That’s what has allowed this fire to spread and really get going,” Shoemaker said.
Gusts are expected to continue overnight but drop to 25 miles per hour by tomorrow morning, bringing cooler, more humid air, he added.
The Alameda County Fire Department had been conducting prescribed burns in the area throughout the week starting May 28, but did not perform any Saturday, spokesperson Cheryl Hurd said.