Easing winds have helped officers bring two of the three most destructive fires under control in Northern California, where at least 40 people have died in the past week.
With hundreds of residents still missing, search teams have also been able to start scouring charred ruins.
The National Weather Service is predicting rain could arrive by Thursday, further helping to bring the fires under control.
Homeowners who fled the flames in Sonoma County were expected to be allowed home last night.
More than 5,700 buildings were destroyed by about a dozen wildfires which have torn through more than 217,000 acres.
Neighbourhoods in the city of Santa Rosa were reduced to ashes.
Steve Crawford, a California Fire operations chief, said heavy winds had lightened and helped to push the flames away from residential areas.
He said: “Before we were kind of chasing the fire.”
The major effort saw about 11,000 firefighters battling the blazes, with the support of air tankers and helicopters.
Engineers with power company PG&E are expected to fly across the county to check lines and re-establish power soon.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Misti Harris revealed 50 search and rescue teams backed by National Guard troops were searching thousands of charred acres in the Sonoma County for bodies.
“Once it’s safe to go through, we’ll search every structure,” she said.
A total of 22 people were killed in Sonoma County and 174 are listed as missing.