Firefighters in California, supported by specialized aircraft, are trying to fight wind-fueled wildfires that broke out and spread early Sunday.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that the "Coral" fire broke out on Saturday afternoon near the city of Tracy, 96 kilometers east of San Francisco, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the city of Livermore.
Dark plumes of smoke rose into the sky above the fire area, which consists mostly of grassy hills.
Early Sunday, the fire began to grow due to hot, dry conditions in California.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) updated the fire's extent to 50.5 square kilometers, compared to 44.5 square kilometers late Saturday.
As of Sunday morning, firefighting teams had managed to control parts of the fire by 15%.
The Cal Fire Santa Clara Fire Department said in a Facebook post that strong winds and dry grass "made it difficult for firefighters to contain it."
The San Francisco Chronicle quoted Cal Fire Chief Baraka Carter as saying that two firefighters were injured.
Authorities closed Interstate 580, which connects the San Francisco Bay Area to San Joaquin County in central California, from the Alameda County line to the Stanislaus County line.
The California Department of Transportation said in a statement that Interstate SR 132 was also closed from I-580 to SR 33 due to the wildfires.
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ReplyDeleteThe fire has spread rapidly.
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