SAN FRANCISCO — California firefighters have gained ground on a wind-driven wildfire that scorched thousands of acres 60 miles east of San Francisco, burned down a home and forced residents to flee the area near the central California city of Tracy. As of Monday morning, the fire was 75% contained, according to California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

What You Need To Know

  • The fire erupted Saturday afternoon in the grassy hills managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the country’s key centers for nuclear weapons science and technology

  • The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the research center was not under immediate threat from the blaze, dubbed the Corral Fire, which had devoured some 22 square miles by Monday morning and was 75% contained
  • Thousands of people in the area, including parts of the city of Tracy with a population of 100,000, were ordered to leave for evacuation centers

  • Photos showed a wall of flames moving over the parched landscape as dark smoke billowed into the sky

The fire erupted Saturday afternoon in the grassy hills managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the country’s key centers for nuclear weapons science and technology. The cause was under investigation.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the research center was not under immediate threat from the blaze, dubbed the Corral Fire, which had devoured some 22 square miles by Monday morning and was 75% contained.

Thousands of people in the area, including parts of the city of Tracy with a population of 100,000, were ordered to leave for evacuation centers. The evacuation order has since been lifted and residents were allowed to return to their homes beginning Sunday evening.

CalFire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira said Sunday afternoon the fire “burned right up the homes” in the area and destroyed one house. With calmer winds and milder weather on Sunday, firefighters were able to contain a large amount of the fire.

Two firefighters suffered minor to moderate burns on Saturday and were expected to make a full recovery, Silveira said.

The wildfire presented no threat to any laboratory facilities or operations and had moved away from the site, Lawrence Livermore spokesperson Paul Rhien said in a statement to The Associated Press early Sunday.

“As a precaution, we have activated our emergency operations center to monitor the situation through the weekend,” Rhien said.

Photos showed a wall of flames moving over the parched landscape as dark smoke billowed into the sky.

The wildfire also forced the closure of two major highways, including an interstate that connects the San Francisco Bay Area to San Joaquin County in central California, but they had reopened by Sunday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said “dangerously hot conditions” with highs of 103 to 108 degrees were expected later in the week for the San Joaquin Valley, an area that encompasses Tracy.