Los Angeles will face another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana winds this week

After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana winds.

Crews continued over the weekend making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County during a brief reprieve from dangerous fire weather, but Southern California now is bracing for another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana winds. “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warnings are in effect from noon Monday to 10 a.m. PT Tuesday for much of the foothills and mountainous areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including Malibu, meaning prevailing conditions including low humidity and strong winds will increase the risk of fire, the National Weather Service warned. Conditions are expected to persist through Thursday due to sustained offshore winds and exceptionally low humidity levels, with many areas likely experiencing humidity between 2% and 5% from Tuesday through Thursday, the agency said. “Along with the extremely dry fuels, this will create a high risk for critical fire weather conditions and rapid fire spread with any new fires,” the Weather Service said Sunday. The Storm Prediction Center declared an “extremely critical” fire zone, its highest alert level, for the San Gabriel Mountains, located northeast of Los Angeles, and surrounding areas, including the Malibu coast. These fierce winds are likely to peak on Monday afternoon and evening, continuing into early Tuesday, with this current Santa Ana Wind event potentially extending through mid-week.