(San Francisco) California firefighters, aided by planes, battled a wind-fueled forest fire Saturday in an area straddling the San Francisco Bay and central California, authorities said.
Gusts fueled the Corral Fire near the town of Tracy, 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of San Francisco, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the town of Livermore, according to the California Department of Forestry and Conservation. fires, Cal Fire.
The fire grew to 18 square kilometers within hours, sending dark plumes of smoke high into the sky. It was 40% contained, Cal Fire said.
Highway 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 the 5 Freeway, due to poor visibility due to smoke, the California Department of Transportation said in a statement.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services issued an evacuation order, locating the wildfire to an area east of Highway 580. Residents between Corral Hollow Road and Tracy Boulevard were issued ordered to leave their homes, while residents south of Tracy Boulevard were asked to prepare for an evacuation.