Thousands may return home as gains made on California fires

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people forced to flee their homes were allowed to return Thursday after firefighters made progress in their effort to put out massive and deadly wildfires in Northern California. Cooler weather, higher humidity and an influx of equipment and firefighters helped hard-pressed crews battling some of the largest fires in recent state history. The fires are burning in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. In California’s wine country, evacuation orders in Napa and Sonoma counties were lifted for about 35,000 people. Officials are also working to open up evacuated areas to south of San Francisco.