Corral Fire (2024)
{{Short description|2024 wildfire in California}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox wildfire|date={{Unbulleted list|{{Start date|2024|06|1}} – |{{End date|2024|06|6}}}}|area={{convert| 14168|acre|ha sqmi km2|0}}|fatalities=0|injuries=2 firefighters|percent_contained=100%|cause=Unknown|year=2024|season_name=2024 California wildfires|season_year=2024 California wildfires|is_season=2024 California wildfires|season=2024 California wildfires|image=Corral Fire via Landsat 9 on 2024-06-02.jpg|caption=The burn scar from the fire, as seen on June 2|structures=1}}The Corral Fire was a sizeable wildfire that rapidly burned 14,168 south of Tracy in San Joaquin County in the U.S. state of California. It was active from June 1 to June 6, 2024, and was 100% contained as of August 2024. It was the first fire of the 2024 California wildfire season to burn more than 2,000 acres, and was the largest wildfire of the season until the Post Fire began 9 days after the Corral Fire was declared contained. The burn area contained Site 300, the only known remaining occurrence of large-flowered fiddleneck (amsinckia grandiflora) in the wild.
Progression
The fire started at approximately 4:30 p.m., and had grown to 30 acres in size 14 minutes later, when it was first reported.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/01/2024 at 4:44 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/40b36ceb-9507-440e-966e-a006e26c3ea2 |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} By 7:50 p.m. the same day, the fire had rapidly grown to 4,940 acres,{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/01/2024 at 7:50 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/647e7467-ed4b-49d8-b7f5-9108f3765248 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} and was declared 10% contained. By 9:50 p.m. the fire had again grown to an estimated 10,000 acres.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/01/2024 at 10:47 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/fa8caef6-6162-4280-b75b-946d1d8571a0 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} Containment had reached 13% by the end of the day, and the CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit was assigned to the fire.
By 7:50 a.m. on June 2, two firefighters were injured and the fire had reached 12,500 acres.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/02/2024 at 7:50 AM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/4f5f6c24-e693-45be-9623-bdcdcdec2e00 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} Containment had also reached 15% while 400 fire crews worked to contain the fire. At around noon the same day, the fire was determined to have been 30% contained.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/02/2024 at 12:42 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/6ee1f377-4809-4365-984e-13355c429c4f |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} By 6:52 p.m., the fire had reached 14,168 acres, its maximum size.{{Cite web |last=Tracy |first=Ben |date=2024-06-03 |title=Corral Fire in California has firefighters worried as climate change threatens to make fire season worse - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/corral-fire-climate-change-california/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |author=Staff reports |title=Here's how much California spent to fight Corral Fire near Tracy |url=https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/fire/2024/06/07/corral-fire-near-tracy-cost-california-3-5m-to-suppress/74016336007/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=The Stockton Record |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Speck |first=Emilee |date=2024-06-02 |title=California firefighters battling Corral Fire now face triple-digit heat |url=https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/california-corral-fire |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=FOX Weather |language=en-US}} It was also determined that containment on the fire had reached 50%.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/02/2024 at 6:52 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/08b6d4f4-36dc-4b1c-a1e5-fac15e58661a |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}}
On the morning June 3, the fire was declared to have been 75% contained, and the number of fire crews assigned to the fire was increased from 400 to 475, including 16 bulldozers, 45 fire engines and 14 hand crews.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/03/2024 at 7:23 AM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/4205a68f-ff08-4833-83fb-072709ddc02a |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} Later, containment on the fire again jumped to 85%.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-03 |title=Corral Fire holds at about 14,000 acres, containment up to 85% |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/corral-fire-containment/3555370/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=NBC Bay Area |language=en-US}} A day later, on the morning of June 4, the fire had been declared 90% contained,{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/04/2024 at 7:32 AM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/a8f7b682-d958-48f8-b44c-1454edbef5dd |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} and by the evening hours one structure had been destroyed, a home in the Tracy Hills neighborhood south of Interstate 580.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/04/2024 at 9:06 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/049aa3db-830e-452c-87e5-c3c277bb4278 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} Containment also reached 90% around the same time. The number of personnel assigned to the fire rapidly decreased, with only 20 active personnel by the end of June 4.
On June 5, the fire was declared 94% contained,{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/05/2024 at 7:32 AM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/b4862ca0-df5e-467e-8230-4e029d491e9f |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} and the number of personnel assigned to the fire again dropped to 10. At 8:05 a.m. on June 6, the fire was declared 98% contained,{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/06/2024 at 8:05 AM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/19c00351-edf7-4d53-8a74-45ea365b66fa |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} and at 6:02 p.m. the same day, the fire was declared 100% contained.{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire: Incident Update on 06/06/2024 at 6:02 PM {{!}} CAL FIRE |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/6/1/corral-fire/updates/38ca2138-59f4-4e7f-9d30-a1d12a330190 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Corral Fire 2024 |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/california-fire-map/corral-fire-2024 |access-date=August 9, 2024 |website=San Francisco Chronicle}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Corral Fire 100% contained after burning more than 14K acres in Livermore-Tracy area: CAL FIRE |url=https://abc7news.com/post/corral-fire-100-contained-after-burning-more-14k/14911591/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=ABC7 San Francisco |language=en}} The fire injured two firefighters,{{Cite web |date=2024-06-03 |title=Corral fire injures 2 firefighters, burns one home in San Joaquin County |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-03/evauations-lifted-in-14-000-acre-corral-fire-in-san-joaquin-county |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} and cost an estimated $3.5 million (2024 USD) to suppress.
Growth and containment table
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
!Date !Area burned !Personnel !Containment |
| style="text-align: left;" |June 1
|{{convert|10000|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} |Unknown | style="text-align: left;" |{{percentile|13|width=400|height=15|text-size=10|progress-done-colour=grey|progress-tbd-colour=red|text-colour=white}} |
| style="text-align: left;" |June 2
|{{convert|14168|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} |400 | style="text-align: left;" |{{percentile|50|width=500|height=15|text-size=10|progress-done-colour=grey|progress-tbd-colour=red|text-colour=white}} |
| style="text-align: left;" |June 3
|{{convert|14168|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} |475 | style="text-align: left;" |{{percentile|75|width=500|height=15|text-size=10|progress-done-colour=grey|progress-tbd-colour=red|text-colour=white}} |
| style="text-align: left;" |June 4
|{{convert|14168|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} |20 | style="text-align: left;" |{{percentile|90|width=500|height=15|text-size=10|progress-done-colour=grey|progress-tbd-colour=red|text-colour=white}} |
| style="text-align: left;" |June 5
|{{convert|14168|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} |10 | style="text-align: left;" |{{percentile|94|width=500|height=15|text-size=10|progress-done-colour=grey|progress-tbd-colour=red|text-colour=white}} |
| style="text-align: left;" |June 6
|{{convert|14168|acre|km2|0|abbr=on}} |3 | style="text-align: left;" |{{percentile|100|width=500|height=15|text-size=10|progress-done-colour=grey|progress-tbd-colour=red|text-colour=white}} |
Misinformation by the Media
Initial reports of the cause said that four days prior, an incomplete controlled burn was done at Site 300.{{Cite web |last=Orel |first=Tri-Valley CAREs Summer Interns- Dasha |last2=Gordon |first2=Raine |last3=Gordon |first3=Tri-Valley CAREs Summer Interns- Dasha Orel and Raine |date=2024-08-01 |title=Update on the Corral Fire at Livermore Lab's Site 300 |url=https://trivalleycares.org/2024/update-on-the-corral-fire-at-livermore-labs-site-300 |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=Tri Valley CAREs |language=en-US}} Those reports said that if the controlled burn was completed, it could've significantly reduced the damage the fire made. However, Alameda County Fire and LLNL officials say that the Corral Fire was unrelated to the prescribed burn.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=KTVU |date=2024-06-02 |title=Corral Fire grows to 14,000 acres east of Livermore, driven by "wind tunnel" |url=https://www.ktvu.com/news/corral-fire-grows-12500-acres-east-livermore-driven-gusting-winds |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=KTVU FOX 2 |language=en-US}} As of July 10, 2025, a full 13 months and 3 days after the wildfire, the cause is still unknown and under investigation. However, LLNL officials believe that the root cause was a failure of an aluminum hand tie, causing two overhead power lines to contact each other, causing a short circuit and sparks, causing the fire to ignite.{{Cite web |last=Manager |first=Anoushka Raj, Environmental Program |date=2025-03-19 |title=Tri-Valley CAREs Uncovers Cause of Corral Fire |url=https://trivalleycares.org/2025/tri-valley-cares-uncovers-cause-of-corral-fire |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=Tri Valley CAREs |language=en-US}} The fire spread rapidly as gusts of up to 43 miles per hour (69 kilometers per hour) swept the north San Joaquin Valley.