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CORRALITOS (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― Some evacuees in the fire-ravaged mountains of Santa Cruz were allowed to return to their homes on Monday, while the hardest hit neighborhoods were still closed because of hazards, fire officials said.

The Summit Fire came to a standstill over the Memorial Day weekend after moist, cool weather helped firefighters get a handle on the destructive blaze that scorched 4,270 acres and three dozen homes.

The easing winds and lower temperatures helped keep the wildfire from spreading —and slowly but surely, firefighters were getting the blaze under control. The blaze was 80 percent contained on Monday night, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention.

Light winds were expected to again aid firefighters on Tuesday, National Weather Service forecaster Diana Henderson said. As a result, fire officials did not expect the blaze to grow much more.  

The fire was expected to be fully surrounded by Tuesday night and controlled by Friday, fire officials said. The blaze still threatened 100 homes and had already destroyed 36 residences. In addition, 18 outbuildings were also destroyed.

Officials opened several roads into the area Monday afternoon after inspectors found they were safe, said David Shew, a battalion chief with Cal Fire.

Eureka Canyon Road between Rider and Ormsby roads, Hazel Dell, Buzzard Lagoon and Browns Valley roads became accessible to residents with proof of residency, such as a driver's license.

Residents returning to those streets were urged to be cautious and drive slowly due to fire equipment and personnel in the area, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said.

Two roads remain closed in Santa Clara County due to the fire. Loma Prieta and Summit roads have not reopened, and Mount Madonna County Park remains closed as well, according to the sheriff's office. Those roads and the park may reopen Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the status of the fire.

Hundreds of evacuees were to be allowed back in phases over three days as inspectors clear one area at a time in the rural mountain location about 15 miles south of San Jose.

Inspectors were looking for hazards along roads such as fallen trees or live flames, and making sure homes that were partially burnt were still safe to enter. The ground also could be hot with smoldering coals or tree roots that are still burning.
 
"The inspection teams are out there right now seeing what's safe and what's not," said Cal Fire spokesman Henry DeKruyff said.

Nearly 3,000 fire personnel were on the scene throughout the weekend, but some were sent home Monday, officials said. Six firefighters have suffered minor injuries.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties to allow access to state funds. The firefighting effort had cost $9.3 million as of Monday.

Smoke from the wildfire left a haze over the Bay Area that lingered through the end of Memorial Day.

Investigators believe the blaze, which began around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, was ignited by smoldering brush from a legal burn near the border of Santa Cruz-Santa Clara counties.

The Summit Fire broke out just as the state's unofficial fire season got under way in mid-May. The blaze erupted following the state's driest two-month period on record.

Cal Fire updates on the blaze are available online at: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current.

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