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Crime & Safety

READER PHOTOS: Friday Night Fires As Seen From Lafayette

Patch reader (and apparently dang good photographer) Eric James Leffler of Walnut Creek took these photos of Friday's lightning fires from Lafayette.

Friday night was marked by a spectacular lightning display and fire warnings across the East Bay as those crackling tendrils touched down in places - setting off grass fires on Mount Diablo.

Walnut Creek photographer and Patch reader Eric James Leffler was out and about and caught these shots, taken from Lafayette.

Our thanks to him for sending them on to us.

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The Fires

Cal Fire and local fire crews contained five vegetation fires in eastern Contra Costa County which were ignited around 8 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Find out what's happening in Lamorindawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The largest fire, pictured above, took out 33 acres near Old Borges Ranch at 1035 Castle Rock in Walnut Creek. 

Other large fires were put out at Morgan Territory Regional Park (seven acres) and Morgan Territory Road at Leon Drive (two acres).

Though the cause hasn't been confirmed, a two-alarm house fire in Danville with estimated damage of more than $1 million was reported around 8:40 p.m. The house was completely destroyed in under an hour, fire district information officer Kim French said.

One person was in the house when the fire broke out. That person was safely evacuated and there were no injuries reported, according to French.

An additional $300,000 in damages is estimated for the contents of the house.

Dispatchers said a lightning strike may have caused the fire.

Danville Patch and Bay City News contributed to this report.

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