Fire burning near Tracy leads to evacuations

Firefighters in San Joaquin County began battling a large fire in a pallet yard at a recycling center near Tracy early on Thursday.

The blaze ignited before 2 a.m. along Grant Line Road, which is just east of Tracy. It was still burning late into the afternoon.

Firefighters went door to door to evacuate people in the neighborhood. 

A nearby elementary school was closed due to its proximity to the inferno and people in 19 homes were told to evacuate. 

At one point, at least two thirds of the yard was on fire before the crews were able to gain control of the flames. 

There is no water supply in the area, so firefighters had to use water tenders, which made it harder to control the flames.