Firefighters made progress on a lightning-sparked wildfire straddling Siskiyou and Modoc counties over Tuesday, raising containment amid "much calmer" fire behavior.
Evacuations ordered for parts of the Tulelake area and the community of Tionesta have been lifted by authorities as firefighters dig in along the fire's north and southeastern sides.
The Caldwell Fire — now the largest wildfire in the region — started near Caldwell Butte, roughly in the southeastern area of the Lava Beds National Monument. The latest update on Tuesday estimated the fire to be 75,567 acres with 40 percent containment.
Growth in all directions over the weekend brought the fire close to homes in multiple communities from Tulelake to Tionesta, resulting in those evacuation orders.
"On the southeast corner, dozers and firefighters succeeded in creating solid control line, and this allowed the residents of Tionesta to return to their homes," fire officials said on Wednesday.