As firefighters continue making progress on the Franklin Fire, which burned more than 4,000 acres in Malibu this week, mandatory evacuation orders were lifted and downgraded to warnings Friday.

Evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings for areas affected by the Franklin Fire, allowing more residents to begin to return to their homes as road access is restored.

Improving weather conditions in Southern California on Wednesday raised officials’ hopes that firefighters could rein in the Franklin Fire, which forced evacuation orders or warnings for 20,000 residents in the Malibu area,