- The Washington Times - Tuesday, September 10, 2013

California firefighters on Tuesday were trying to contain a wildfire that had grown to about three times in size in the past couple of days, threatening about 100 homes in a San Francisco Bay Area.

The blaze in Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County started on Sunday but has grown to 3,718 acres — almost 6 square miles, a near-tripling of size, The Associated Press reported.

Firefighters say hot weather and intermittent wind gusts are fueling the fire’s spread.

Residents in the community have been evacuated, and other homeowners have been given smoke alerts and warnings, AP said. Tuesday’s weather forecast called for more concerns about the spreading blaze, however. Hot weather and wind gusts of 10 to 20 mph were predicted, and at least 800 firefighters — aided by air tankers and water-dropping helicopters — have been called to the scene, AP reported.

So far, three firefighters have been injured while battling the blaze. Their injuries were categorized as minor, AP reported.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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