KELLOGG — Evacuation orders for Big Creek and Elizabeth Park were lifted shortly after noon Thursday, allowing residents to return home as crews continue working to contain the Gold Run Fire.

The orders were lifted about 44 hours after they were issued during the fire's initial hours Tuesday afternoon.

The fire remains at approximately 235 acres and is 20% contained, but authorities say significant progress has been made in extinguishing hot spots and strengthening fire lines. Officials noted that the fire's footprint has remained unchanged for nearly two days.

Those factors, combined with favorable weather conditions Wednesday, gave Shoshone County Sheriff Shawn Wehr confidence that residents could safely return home.

"We wanted to let everybody get back into their homes," Wehr said. "I wanted to make every effort to get them back, and I think we did, but it had to be safe."

Although residents are returning, the threat has not been eliminated. Under the three-tiered "Ready, Set, Go" evacuation system, Big Creek and Elizabeth Park will remain in the "Set" stage, meaning residents should be prepared to leave again on short notice if conditions change.

On Thursday morning, the North Idaho Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire, relieving many of the local resources that had been fighting the blaze since it began. The team is led by Idaho Department of Lands Deputy Agency Administrator Mike McManus.

Jen Russell, public information officer for the Type 3 team, said officials are encouraged by the fire's behavior despite its continued activity.

She said cooler temperatures and light winds Wednesday allowed wildland crews to make significant progress.

"We feel that our crews can still safely work with people returning and, in their homes," she said.

Russell said the expanded incident management team has significantly increased personnel and equipment assigned to the fire. After a full day of mapping and evaluating existing fire lines, she expects officials will have a much clearer picture of the remaining path toward containment.

As of Thursday afternoon, there had been no reported injuries, deaths or lost homes as a result of the fire. Wehr said there continued to be heavy activity near Shoshone Golf Course, where several maintenance and storage buildings were destroyed.

Wehr said it is too early to speak as though the incident is over, but he praised the response from local, state and federal partners over the past two days.

He specifically highlighted the work of Silver Valley EMS crews, local and state law enforcement officers and the helicopter pilots who played a critical role in preventing the fire from reaching additional homes during the initial stages of the fire.

"The guys working on the fire, they're doing a phenomenal job," he said. "I couldn't be more impressed with the response and efforts."

Wehr also thanked the residents of Shoshone County. He estimated that between 150 and 200 people were evacuated Tuesday, though only a handful stayed at the two shelters established for displaced residents.

Based on information gathered during the evacuation, Wehr said most residents were able to find places to stay elsewhere in the community.

"That's just Shoshone County being Shoshone County," he said.

The Idaho Department of Lands will continue issuing twice-daily updates on fire activity and containment efforts.