Janice R. Andrews
Over a dozen surrounding homes had to be evacuated when a large fire broke out at a wood pallet business near Tracy early on Thursday morning.
According to accounts, the incident happened along Grant Line Road and G Street, and the fire started shortly before two in the morning.
When South San Joaquin County Fire Authority firefighters arrived, they discovered that the fire was already heavily involved, necessitating a third-alarm response.
19 nearby homes were demolished in reaction to the evacuation, and Banta Elementary School was used as a shelter for the displaced people.
At the scene, the availability of water proved to be problematic, requiring support from nearby organizations, including water tenders from as far away as Waterloo and Alameda County.
The South County incident District’s Chief, Randal Bradley, stressed the vital role that mutual aid resources had in lessening the effects of the incident.
Although staff used more than 250,000 gallons of water, they had trouble reaching some hydrants, which led to conversations about enhancing the local infrastructure.
About 261 people were reported to have lost power, and Union Pacific momentarily stopped running trains through the impacted area.
Tracy police imposed Grant Line Road closures between the 11th Street roundabout and Chabot Court as a result of the continued firefighting operations.
Investigative efforts are still on to determine what caused the incident, even though Banta Elementary School plans to resume on Friday subject to power restoration.
