That fire in Tracy is BIG. 10,000 Acres. They're saying it's 35-40% under control (I'm not sure what that means exactly). Air tankers and two helicopters are on hand to to dump water on the fire that "blackened much of the 1,500-acre Carnegie State Vehicular
Recreation Area and the surrounding Altamont Hills." Ironically, some members of the Tracy Fire Department were dispatched Thursday morning to help fight a fire in Santa Cruz. I am guessing they were called back to fight this fire in their own city. The following is from the Tracy Press:
At
its peak, the Corral Fire reached more than twice the size of the one
licking up the Santa Cruz mountains this week. The California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection dispatched four air tankers
and two helicopters to dump water on the swelling grassfire that
blackened much of the 1,500-acre Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation
Area and the surrounding Altamont Hills.
At least 350
firefighters from the state and Alameda and San Joaquin counties have
teamed up to battle the blaze. Cal Fire said the fire is about 20
percent contained, though the Tracy Fire Department estimated about 35
to 40 percent was under control late this morning.
“We’ve got a
pretty good handle on it,” said Tracy fire Chief Chris Bosch. “The
message to bring home is that the fire is in an area of the mountains
far away from where anyone lives, and it’s mostly brush and vegetation.
That’s what’s causing all the smoke.”