Show Low, Ariz. ? Families wore red, white and blue and cheered wildly during the city’s Fourth of July parade, thanking firefighters who worked to save the area from the ravages of the largest wildfire in state history.

Most of the residents, waving flags and posters showing their patriotism, had been forced to flee the 469,322-acre blaze and only recently allowed to return.

“It’s really special to be able to wave to the firefighters and thank them for helping us,” said Karen Bentley, who lost her Pinedale home to the fire two weeks after moving in.

Though more than 400 homes were lost in Pinedale, Linden and Heber-Overgaard, thousands more were saved as firefighters were able to stop the fire from making a run through Show Low.

By Thursday, the fire was 90 percent contained and was expected to be fully contained Sunday, fire officials said.

Most residents went home Saturday. The last wave of evacuees returned Wednesday to Heber-Overgaard, one of the most heavily damaged areas.

Many cities in Arizona, including Show Low, decided not to celebrate this year’s holiday with fireworks, fearing the smallest spark could set off another wildfire in dry forests.

Meanwhile in Colorado, about 200 homes were evacuated for about two hours Thursday in Glenwood Springs because of the threat of flash floods from heavy storms over fire-charred hillsides. The evacuation order was lifted when winds shifted, Garfield County Sheriff’s spokesman Ron VanMeter said.

The Coal Seam fire, ignited June 8, has burned more than 12,000 acres and destroyed 29 homes. It was 90 percent contained Thursday.

Firefighters said a fire north of Durango, Colo., that has destroyed 56 homes was 70 percent contained Thursday. Southwest of Denver, rain washed debris from a 137,760-acre wildfire onto a highway but caused no significant flooding.

In other wildfire developments Thursday:

l A lightening-sparked fire in southwestern New Mexico grew to nearly 8,000 acres as firefighters tried to protect several homes.

l A 750-acre fire burning on the California-Nevada line at the south end of Lake Tahoe was 25 percent contained.

l About 2,500 residents of Lead, S.D., began returning home.