Evacuation orders lifted for residents in Falls fire area

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The air assault continued Tuesday morning to contain the 1,500-acre Falls fire near Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters mop up hot spots along South Main Divide in Cleveland National Forest. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Lance Thibault climbs up a steep ridge to reach South Main Divide in Cleveland National Forest as firefighters continue to battle the 1,500-acre Falls fire near Lake Elsinore. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters drive their trucks next to a dangerous wall of flame while battling the Falls fire on Highway 74 just above Lake Elsinore on the Ortega Highway. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection drive toward a dangerous wall of flame while battling the fire. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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A water-dropping helicopter flies through thick smoke and active flame. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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A freelance photographer points to active flame as a hillside burns. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Samantha Wethington of Lake Elsinore evacuates pets and removes belongings as the fire burns near her home. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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The Ortega Highway was closed after the fire jumped the road. Dozens of homes were ordered evacuated. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Residents Katera Hutchins, left, and mother Janna Lucas watch as flames approach their Lake Elsinore-area neighborhood as the fire grew. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Lee Reeder of Riverside stops to photograph the fire. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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The fire sends dramatic plumes of smoke and flame into the sky. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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A fixed-wing aircraft drops fire retardant on the fast-moving brush fire as it crests a ridge. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

By Ari Bloomekatz

Aug. 6, 2013 7:58 PM PT

The mandatory evacuations of residents ordered during the early stages of the Falls fire near Lake Elsinore in Riverside County have been lifted, authorities said Tuesday.

Evacuation orders had been in place for Lakeland Village, Rancho Capistrano and Decker Canyon but were all lifted by Tuesday evening, said Ralph Gonzales of the U.S. Forest Service.

State Highway 74 has also been reopened, but only to residents -- who have to abide by a specific schedule and be escorted by the California Highway Patrol.

PHOTOS: Falls fire

The blaze, off the Ortega Highway near Decker Canyon, was first reported Monday morning and had burned more than 1,400 acres by Tuesday morning. Several campgrounds and picnic areas in the area remain closed.

Officials said they expect to have the fire 100% contained by Friday.

As of Tuesday evening, it was 30% contained and was “displaying aggressive behavior with potential for spotting,” according to information posted on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Incident Information Web page.

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