3100 Acre "Morgan Fire" Near Mt. Diablo Reinforces Bay Area Wildfire Threat

A fire that burned thousands of acres near Mount Diablo State Park over the past week cost more than $5 million so far to control, Cal Fire officials say.

Dubbed the "Morgan Fire," the blaze was 95 percent contained by Friday morning, with about 450 personnel remaining to check for any smoldering areas and to patrol the perimeter of the blaze, according to a statement from Cal Fire.

Friday afternoon, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Capt. Robert Marshall said, "There is no real active fire and probably not a lot of smoldering."

Cal Fire said full containment of the fire was achieved Saturday evening.

Fire investigators determined that target shooting in the area on Sunday caused the Morgan Fire, but Cal Fire officials declined to provide further details due to the ongoing investigation.

The blaze was first reported at 1 p.m. Sunday near Morgan Territory Road, southeast of Clayton adjacent to the State Park.

Strong winds and unseasonably dry vegetation helped fuel the fire, which prompted the evacuation of at least 75 homes and burned 3,133 acres, according to Cal Fire.

Most residents were allowed to return to their homes by Tuesday, according to fire officials.

More than 1,370 firefighters responded to the fire from dozens of state and Bay Area fire agencies.

In addition to monitoring for hot spots, remaining fire personnel on Thursday and today have worked on cleaning up roadways and planting seeds to prevent soil erosion and future floods, according to Cal Fire.

Mount Diablo State Park is expected to reopen on Monday, and crews are working to fix park trails and structures damaged in the blaze, according to park officials.