Residents of South Lake Tahoe started returning back to their homes after being evacuated due to a raging fire in the area. However, according to US media reports, many shops remained dark Monday and the resort town’s normally bustling streets remained quiet.

The news comes after the evacuation order was rolled down to warnings for the residents of the area as the firefighters gained dominance over the blaze and were able to control it to a large extent.

A week ago, the scenic tourist town on the California-Nevada state line emptied out when authorities issued an evacuation order as the fire approached from south, according to reports from Associated Press.

Even though the Caldor Fire has been largely contained, authorities have warned that the risks related to the disaster have not completely disappeared. 

Those who have underlying health problems have been advised to delay their return to the Lake Tahoe residences as the air quality is not at its best in the area. However, South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Clive Savacool said officials hoped to have the hospital emergency room open within 24 hours, according to reports from Associated Press.

Authorities also warned that in the absence of humans, bears had gone to town, spreading trash everywhere that must be picked up.

Moreover, the authorities overseeing the operations in South Lake Tahoe have warned that bears returned to the town in the absence of humans and have spread trash.

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for parts of unincorporated El Dorado County south of South Lake Tahoe, including Meyers and Christmas Valley.

According to reports from Associated Press, the lifting of mandatory evacuation orders for the Tahoe area marked a milestone in the fight against the fire, which erupted on August 14 and spread across nearly 340 square miles (880 square kilometers) of dense national parks and forests, tree-dotted granite cliffs and scattered cabins and hamlets in the northern Sierra Nevada.