After three days, residents who had been evacuated from the Leroux Fire were allowed to return to their homes on Wednesday. They have been placed in a “pre-evacuation” status, which means they should remain aware of their surroundings and be ready to evacuate again if conditions change. Fire activity was limited to creeping and smoldering during the day. Firefighters expressed confidence that a majority of the perimeter lines were holding, leading to a significant increase in containment at the end of shift yesterday. Ground crews enjoyed cloud cover that moderated temperatures for much of the morning as they conducted the gritty work of churning over smoldering roots and vegetation ever-further inside the perimeter to fortify fire lines. Their work is verified by “cold trailing,” in which they touch the ground with their hands to verify no heat remains from smoldering debris.Read more ...