Residents who were forced to leave their homes over the weekend when a wildfire broke out near a local explosives and materials testing site in San Joaquin County were allowed to begin returning to their homes on Sunday. at night, the authorities announced.
The Corral Fire, which started Saturday afternoon near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, is burning west of Interstate 580. It had grown to 14,168 acres by Sunday night.
The fire is 50% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Feeding on light, dry grass, the fire advanced toward Tracy, a city of about 100,000 people east of San Francisco, and prompted mandatory evacuations that were downgraded to warnings at 6 p.m. Sunday.
“Residents are advised to remain vigilant and prepared for possible changes,” the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services said in a notice to residents.
The fire was also considered a threat to the nearby laboratory, which the Environmental Protection Agency describes as a “test site for high-level materials and explosives in support of nuclear weapons research,” the Associated Press reported Sunday.
The EPA said operations at the site, which began in the 1950s, “contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals” and a long-term cleanup is underway.
The fire briefly closed Interstate 580, but all lanes have since reopened. Local closures remain in effect as crews continue to battle the fire.
