AP – Firefighters aided by aircraft battled a wind-driven wildfire burning yesterday in an area straddling the San Francisco Bay Area and central California in the United States, authorities said.
The Corral Fire began burning on Saturday near the city of Tracy, 96 kilometres east of San Francisco, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the city of Livermore, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
Dark plumes of smoke travelled high into the sky over the fire area comprised mostly of grassy hills, where strong winds were expected to continue overnight.
Cal Fire updated the size of the fire to 40.4 square kilometres with 13 per cent contained, which increased from an earlier report of 35.4 square kilometres.
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 five due to the lack of visibility from the smoke, the California Department of Transportation said in a statement.
Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit Chief Baraka Carter said two fire workers were injured, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services issued an evacuation order, pinpointing the wildfire in an area east of Interstate 580. Residents between Corral Hollow Road and Tracy Boulevard were ordered to leave their homes, with residents south of Tracy Boulevard told to be prepared for evacuation.
