Update 7:40 a.m. Tuesday:

The Caldor Fire has burned 216,646 acres and is 49% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire.

Initially Posted:

Firefighters made significant progress battling the Caldor Fire over the weekend, with authorities lifting some evacuation orders in El Dorado County as a result of these efforts.

As of Sunday morning, the Caldor Fire had burned 215,400 acres, and was 43% contained, per Cal Fire’s online updates.

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On Saturday, as a result of persistent progress against the blaze, Cal Fire announced the lifting of some evacuation orders in the Caldor Fire’s western zone. According to a press release Cal Fire issued regarding the evacuations, residents in communities living near Omo Ranch Road, the Mormon Emigrant Trail, and the Community of Blue Mountain are now under evacuation advisories, rather than orders. In other areas in El Dorado County, including communities near Camino Heights, Ant Hill, and Springer/Leisure, the evacuation warnings were lifted altogether, the release stated.

Officials said that significantly improving weather conditions, including a reduction in wind activity, have played a key role in allowing Cal Fire to establish a much greater level of control over the Caldor Fire, as compared to the previous week.

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Nonetheless, civilians returning to their homes in formerly evacuated areas need to continue to keep an eye on the fire, as conditions can always change, and should also be mindful that some roads in El Dorado County remain closed due to the blaze, Cal Fire said in its release.

As of Sunday, 712 residences, as well as over 200 other structures, including commercial buildings, were confirmed destroyed as a result of the Caldor Fire, the release stated. Additionally, Cal Fire attributed nine total injuries, including seven to its own personnel, to the fire. No fatalities have been reported from the fire.

Nearly 5,000 firefighters, including units from out-of-state departments, remained on the scene of the Caldor Fire as of Sunday. The fire’s cause is still unknown at this time, authorities have said.

Stephen Wyer is a staff writer with The Union, a sister publication to the Sierra Sun. He can be reached at swyer@theunion.com