WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The Mount Diablo wildfire in California is 70 percent contained and could be fully contained by Friday, fire officials said.
The blaze, which began Sunday, has scorched 3,133 acres as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, Cal Fire spokeswoman Tina Rose said. That's about 600 acres less than first thought, the Contra Costa Times said.
"The goal for today is to make sure that we are able to mop up embers and other hot spots within the containment lines and not let the fire get beyond them," Rose said. "The fire is not spreading, but it still could spread."
A beacon light atop Mount Diablo that's lit every Dec. 7 in commemoration of Pearl Harbor has not been damaged and firefighters are protecting it "like a mama bear guards her cubs," Rose said.
Evacuation orders for residents of 75 homes in the Walnut Creek area were lifted Tuesday.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
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