Calmer winds this week are allowing firefighters to continue their attack on the Decker fire. The blaze did not grow overnight, officials said Tuesday.

Starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, residents are allowed to return to their homes on Silverheels Road and to the two houses on a private drive just west of Silverheels Road, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page. Evacuation orders issued Sunday remained in place for those living in the Bear Creek area along Chaffee County Road 101.

Crews continued to reestablish containment lines that were breached after Sunday’s gusty winds, said Rick Barton, a spokesman for fire crews. Firefighters also increased safeguards near the subdivisions of Howard and Bear Creek and established more protection near a spot fire in the northern part of the blaze, Barton said.

The 8,100-acre fire remained 30% contained Tuesday afternoon, according to an update from Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.

Tuesday was the first in many that a red flag warning —signaling high fire danger — was not issued, Barton said.

“The winds subsided a lot. We still had windy conditions but they weren’t nearly what they were on Sunday,” he said. The gentler conditions allowed for a “very productive day” following the dangerously strong winds on Sunday that caused some firefighters to retreat and the fire to swell by roughly 800 acres.

Two air tankers and seven helicopters dropped 130,000 gallons of water and 15 loads of retardant over the blaze Monday, Barton said.

Fire crews are taking advantage of the current conditions, before another red flag warning is issued. By Wednesday, temperatures are expected to increase. Winds around 20 mph and humidity “near or below critical thresholds” could bring increased fire risk, Barton said.

Starting Thursday, a series of cold fronts and wind are expected to move through the area, causing the fire to move in unpredictable directions, he said.

“We’re always concerned when a front passes through our fire area because it means increased winds and a change of direction in the winds,” he said. “So firefighters are working very hard before the next series of wind comes through.”

The fire, which was sparked by lightning Sept. 8, is burning 2 miles south of Salida. A community meeting is planned at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday at Salida’s Steam Plant Theater.