Fire crews battling the Canyon Creek Complex of fires near John Day say people who've been evacuated for weeks can now return to their homes. Evacuation alerts were lifted Wednesday but some residents must still be on notice to leave if conditions change.
Vince Mazzier is a spokesman for the Great Basin Management Team on the Canyon Creek Complex. He says it's a huge relief for residents and crews.
Mazzier: "Having people back in their residences, you know, it gets back to getting a little normalcy. And now it's just a matter of continuing to work on the fire and getting a handle on it."
Mazzier says there's been a lot of support from surrounding communities.
Mazzier: "With donations, not only for families that lost their houses, but also for firefighters. In fact, a group from Prineville delivered 4-thousand pounds of apples. So we've got lots of apples."
Mazzier says they're expecting cooler weather and higher humidity for the next few days which aids fire crews.
The Canyon Creek Complex has burned more than 165 square miles and is 52 percent contained.
