Santiago, Chile, Jumada I 24, 1436, Mar 15, 2015, SPA -- Firefighters in Chile gained the upper hand Sunday on a coastal blaze that had gotten close to the neighboring cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, but officials said strong winds could still pose a threat. The fire had been "pretty well contained" and flames close to houses had been put out, said Aaron Cavieres, director of the National Forestry Corporation. The containment was "allowing people to return to their homes," said Cavieres. Several thousand people were evacuated over the weekend, and by Sunday most had returned, AP reported. Still, the National Emergency Office was maintaining a red alert in case there were changes in the winds. Valparaiso, with its large port, and Vina, with popular beaches, often experience sudden bursts of strong winds coming off the Pacific Ocean. About 200 firefighters on the ground and water-dumping helicopters and planes were battling the wildfire, which started Friday afternoon at an illegal dump and quickly spread. -- SPA 20:33 LOCAL TIME 17:33 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w