Hot, windy conditions helped fuel two Bay Area fires on Sunday. A wildfire erupted Sunday afternoon on the eastern side of Mount Diablo, burning brush and other vegetation and potentially threatening about 100 homes. Also that afternoon, a brush fire broke out at a storage facility in Sonoma County, ultimately burning 40 acres.

The Mt. Diablo fire is currently only 10 percent contained and it doubled in size overnight to about 1,500 acres. The sizable plume of smoke hung over the east bay yesterday evening leading to some pretty sunset images, but some scary ones as well, depending on whether you knew the cause.

The cause of the fire, dubbed the Morgan Fire, is still unknown, but it was first reported at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday. It has since spread up the mountain and to the north and south, prompting an evacuation order for part of Clayton, the closest community to the north of the mountain. No structures have yet been burned.

See some dramatic photos of the blaze at night via the Mercury News.

In the area of Schellville, along Highway 121 in unincorporated Sonoma County, a brush fire likely caused by a spark from a tow truck broke out at a facility that manufactures wood pallets. It quickly spread to the pallets themselves, ultimately burning 6 building, a number of vehicles, and 40 acres in total. It was contained and extinguished overnight.

So, yes, it's already been a predictably dangerous fire season after our very dry winter and spring, and there's definitely more to come.

[Chron]
[Mercury News]
[CBS]