LOS ANGELES– California was hit by powerful winds on Wednesday that sent humidity levels plummeting and prompted forecasters to warn of the risk of “extreme and potentially deadly” wildfires.

Los Angeles County Fire crews scrambled to contain a small blaze fueled by erratic gusts that pushed flames through dry brush near Broad Beach along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The famous road dotted with beachfront mansions was closed as planes dropped water on the 40-acre (16-hectare) Broad Fire. Residents were asked to shelter in place and firefighters said two structures burned.

The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles has modified its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly dangerous situation” label.

With gusts forecast between 50 miles and 100 mph and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior through Thursday , the weather service said.

Officials in several counties urged residents to watch out for fast-spreading fires, power outages and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds.

“Those living in canyon, mountain and foothill communities should be prepared to evacuate at any time,” the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management said on X. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution precautionary measures and fire departments have positioned their resources in fire-prone areas. .

Northwest of Los Angeles, the fast-moving Mountain Fire prompted evacuation orders for several communities in an agricultural area near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County.

Andrew Dowd, a spokesman for the county fire department, said he did not have details on how many people were under evacuation orders or how many structures were damaged.

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“Many houses were affected by the fires,” he said. “It’s a fast-spreading fire.”

The last update on the size of the fire was 248 acres around 9:15 a.m., but Dowd said it has grown significantly since then.

In south Orange County, firefighters said ash and debris were flying from the Airport Fire, which ravaged the area earlier this year due to high winds, but no active fires were reported. was reported there on Wednesday. Gusts swept through coastal towns, bringing down tree branches and overturning large trash cans.

Forecasters also issued red flag warnings through Thursday from California’s central coast to the San Francisco Bay Area and northern counties.

Sustained winds of 30 mph are expected in many areas, with possible gusts exceeding 55 mph along mountain peaks, according to the San Francisco Weather Service office.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it preemptively cut power to a small number of customers Tuesday evening in areas where strong gusts could damage electrical equipment and cause fires.

More than 20,000 customers in 17 Northern California counties were without power Wednesday morning after Pacific Gas & Turn off electrical power to prevent its equipment from starting fires in dry and windy conditions.

Southern California Edison also preemptively cut power to more than 46,000 customers, including more than 12,000 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday. Power outages are being considered for more than 200,000 customers due to the risk, the company said on its website.