California wildfires recede

Homeowners and neighbors wielding garden hoses, dirt, and shovels snuck past evacuation lines to battle blazes. Despite repeated warnings, organized groups of civilians have continued to head to the front lines near Santa Cruz, Calif. One man took buckets of water from a hot tub to douse a small blaze near a neighbor’s house. “I haven’t seen people reengage to this scale, particularly with the level of organization,” said Ken Pimlott, retired director of the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Has there been progress in putting out the wildfires? Officials asked people to follow evacuation orders so they don’t cause problems for firefighters. But the blazes have died down amid coordinated efforts and cooler weather. Firefighters said they have reached more than 30 percent containment near Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The state allowed thousands of people to return home in affected regions on Thursday.

Dig deeper: View the U.S. Forest Service’s interactive map of fires across the country.