The destructive Glass Fire, which has been burning in Napa and Sonoma counties for more than a week, has charred at least 66,840 acres and is 50% contained, Cal Fire said Tuesday morning.
The flames threaten around 21,000 structures and 36,000 people are currently under evacuation, according to Cal Fire.
But on Monday evening, some evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings in St. Helena.
"It was a relief I guess," said evacuee Arthur Antonio. "I’m just working here through the harvest so yeah being back in town is great, having a real solid place to stay. Definitely a blessing."
Despite the great news, firefighters said there's more to lifting evacuation orders than the glow of flames in the sky.
"A lot of the reason we keep people out of the area even after the fire has burned through is because the area is unsafe," said Dave Lauchner, Glass Fire PIO. "We may have trees that are unsafe to be around, we still may have hotspots and we wanna make sure we can ensure the safety of all the residents."
There is still no specific date when the Glass Fire is expected to be fully contained but firefighters say things are heading in the right direction and the weather is helping their cause.
Cal Fire said 1,235 structures have been destroyed by the flames. Another 242 have been damaged.
