Firefighters battling the massive wildfire in California caught a major break from the humid weather, allowing them to gain a little ground, but officials say the fight is far from over.

"Right now if I were in a boxing match, I'd think we're even today," U.S. Forest Service incident commander Mike Dietrich said.

Firefighters on Tuesday raised containment to 22 percent, but fire officials fear the winds could kick up Wednesday.

Crews were bracing for the possibility of thunderstorms, dry lightning and wind Wednesday afternoon.

The blaze, burning since Aug. 26, has destroyed more than five dozen homes, scorched 199 square miles, and forced some 12,000 people to flee their homes.

The wildfire season usually doesn't gather steam until the winds hit in October, but the fire has been driven by dryness instead of wind. The region is in the midst of a three-year drought.