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Some residents were being allowed to return home and multiple roads were reopened Thursday even as the raging Blue Cut Fire grew to nearly 50 square miles.

About 34,500 homes have been evacuated, affecting nearly 83,000 residents in San Bernardino County, according to InciWeb. It was not immediately clear how many residents were being allowed to return home.

Click here for the latest information on the Blue Cut Fire. 

In addition to evacuations and road closures, a number of schools remain closed Thursday as firefighters try to get a handle on the wildfire, which is just 4 percent contained.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for the following area for Thursday: 

  • The entire community of Wrightwood
  • Wrightwood from the San Bernardino County line to Jackson Lake
  • The areas west of the 15 Freeway, west of Highway 395 and west of Summit Valley
  • South of Bear Valley Road and east of Caughlin Road
  • East of Sheep Creek, south of Phelan Road and west of Green Road, including the Desert Front Road area
  • Lone Pine Canyon
  • Swarthout Canyon
  • West Cajon Valley
  • Lytle Creek Canyon
  • The area east of the 15 Freeway to Santa Fe and Summit Valley Road south of Ranchero Road to Highway 138 was lifted at 1 p.m.

Click here to view maps of each area affected by evacuation orders.

Evacuated residents can go to: 

  • Jessie Turner Community Center
    15556 Summit Ave., Fontana
  • Sultana High School
    17311 Sultana St., Hesperia

Animals can be taken to: 

  • Apple Valley Animal Shelter (large and small animals)
    22131 Powhatan Rd., Apple Valley
  • Devore Animal Shelter (small animals)
    19777 Shelter Valley, San Bernardino, 800-472-5609
  • Victorville Fairgrounds (large animals)
    14800 Seventh Ave., Victorville

The following roads remain closed: 

  • Highway 395 at Joshua
  • Highway 138 from the 15 Freeway to State Route 2
  • State Route 2 from the Los Angeles County line to Highway 138
  • Highway 138 between the county line and Highway 173
  • Old Cajon Boulevard north of Devore Cutoff
  • Lytle Creek at Glen Helen
  • Beekley Road from Phelan Road to State Route 138
  • Highway 38 to Lone Pine Canyon

These roads have been reopened: 

  • Northbound 15 Freeway at the 215 Freeway
  • The northbound 15 through the Cajon Pass
  • The southbound 15 was also reopened before noon.
  • Santa Fe/Summit Valley Road and Arrowhead Lake Road/Highway 173 were reopened at 1 p.m.

Campuses at the following school districts will be closed Thursday due to the fire and deteriorating air quality: 

  • Apple Valley Unified School District
  • Barstow Unified School District
  • Helendale School District
  • Silver Valley Unified School District
  • Adelanto Elementary School District
  • Oro Grande School District
  • Victor Elementary School District
  • Victor Valley Union High School District
  • Kimbark Elementary School is also closed
  • The Hesperia Unified and Snowline Unified school districts will remain closed for the rest of the week.