Residents east of Interstate 580 between Corral Hollow Road and South Tracy Boulevard were the first told to leave by the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.
SUNDAY UPDATE: 12,500-acre brush fire burning in Livermore-Tracy area; 15% contained, CAL FIRE says
The evacuations were expanded to those living west of the California Aqueduct, west to Alameda County and south to Stanislaus County, the office said in social media posts.
The Coral fire that began east of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Site 300 closed Interstate 580 from Corral Hollow Road to Interstate 5 in both directions, Caltrans said on social media.
Two Alameda County firefighters were taken to local hospitals for treatment of minor to moderate burns, said Cheryl Hurd, a spokesperson for the department.
Winds in the hills west of Tracy were 20 to 25 mph gusting to 43 mph, said Dylan Flynn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Monterey. The wind was expected to remain elevated until after midnight, he said.
The blaze, reported at 2:39 p.m., was about 30 acres by 4:45 p.m. and reached 11,047 acres with 13% contained about 11:17 p.m., Cal Fire said on its website.
The cause of the fire wasn't immediately known, Hurd said.
Site 300, located 15 miles east of Lawrence Livermore's main site, is home to facilities to support development of explosive materials as well as hydrodynamic testing and diagnostics, according to the laboratory's website.
Caltrans says I-580 from Corral Hollow Road to I-5 is closed in both directions due to the fire.
Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details on this developing story.