A wildfire in San Joaquin County has reached 8,800 acres and is only 10% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The so-called Corral Fire was identified as 30 acres when it was reported Saturday afternoon near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, southwest of Tracy.
The Environmental Protection Agency describes Site 300 as a “high-level materials and explosives 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 fire caused the closure of Highway 580 in the area, with video shared by users on social media site X showing smoke and flames near the road.
By Saturday night, the fire had grown dramatically, forcing evacuations. The cause is under investigation.
