A critical fire threat will continue across County as Santa Ana winds and dry conditions persist through early Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Southern California will continue to face "dangerous fire weather conditions" including strong Santa Ana winds and extremely low humidity through later this week, forecasters said Tuesday.

With the strongest gusts expected on Tuesday, extreme fire condition threats will prevail until midweek, L.A.-area fire chiefs say.

For the latest updates on the LA and San Diego fires, follow USA TODAY's coverage for Wednesday, Jan. 22. SAN DIEGO — Multiple wildfires broke out in San Diego County on Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders,

The Santa Anas are expected to be most powerful Monday night into Tuesday. Fire services across the region say they are ready.

Not only do these winds accelerate the speed and spread of the fires, they also affect how the fires are fought. The strong winds can make it dangerous to fly aircraft used for containing the fires.

Millions of California residents were placed under a red flag warning through Thursday amid threats of further fires with looming winds in the forecast, according to multiple reports.

The National Weather Service has issued another rare Particularly Dangerous Situation warning in anticipation of Monday's Santa Ana wind event.

After a much quieter weekend, Southern California is experiencing a major shift in the weather pattern. The winds will peak Monday evening and overnight but extend into Tuesday morning.

After a brief break on Sunday afternoon, another prolonged round of gusty Santa Ana winds is expected to develop, forecasters say.

San Diego County remains under the grip of another round of moderate to strong Santa Ana winds, paired with extremely dry air, elevating critical fire weather concerns.