California firefighters battle Corral wildfire east of San Francisco; hot conditions ahead
Hundreds of emergency responders on Monday continued battling a 14,000-acre wildfire east of San Francisco that has injured two firefighters and triggered evacuations ahead of high temperatures forecast for this week.
The Corral Fire started Saturday afternoon near the city of Tracy in San Joaquin County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Fueled by high winds, the blaze spread across hundreds of acres of tall grass, prompting authorities to order evacuations and deploy hundreds of firefighters and other emergency responders to the remote area.
As of Monday morning, 75% of the fire has been contained, and it has burned about 22 square miles, CalFire said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Officials said the fire broke out on property maintained by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a federal lab about 40 miles southeast of downtown Oakland that conducts experiments on nuclear reactions, lasers, atomic structure and molecular biology. The lab's proximity to the fire did not immediately pose a threat, authorities said.
On Sunday, authorities had downgraded evacuation orders to evacuation warnings and requested residents "remain vigilant and prepared for potential changes."
Fire impacts water system, officials issue warning
Meanwhile, roads were closed to nonresidents in some areas, and some residents were asked to boil their tap water.
Citing a water outage, the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water and the San Joaquin County Health Department on Sunday urged residents in the CSA 16 Par Country Estates Water System, which serves more than 50 properties, "to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution."
"DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST," the warning said. "Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness."
San Joaquin Valley faces excessive heat warning
More than 475 emergency personnel are involved in the emergency response, which has involved more than 40 fire engines, 16 bulldozers and dozens of crews. Air tankers from around the country are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow, CalFire said.
On Sunday evening, authorities said favorable weather conditions helped firefighters make progress in constructing and maintaining control lines. But the favorable weather may not last long.
The National Weather Service warned excessive heat will bear down this week across a vast stretch of central California, including the San Joaquin Valley. The advisory, which will be in effect from 11 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday, warns of "dangerous hot conditions," with temperatures of 95 to 108 degrees possible.
"This level of heat risk means that there will likely be little to no overnight relief for those without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," the weather service said. "Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities."
Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz and Trevor Hughes
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Corral wildfire burns in California with hotter weather in forecast
