Major brush fires burning in SoCal amid powerful windstorm

The greatest concern is for Highway 118 to the 210 corridor from Simi Valley to Claremont, NWS said.

The strong gusts of wind increase the risk for downed trees and powerlines, which could affect the roads.

The Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be completely closed between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway in the unincorporated L.A. County area of Topanga in the Santa Monica Mountains from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Friday due to the red flag warning.

The Los Angeles Fire Department declared a red flag alert with special red flag parking restrictions beginning 8 a.m Tuesday. For a map of impacted streets, click here.

"It is important that fire apparatus have room to respond quickly to a fast-moving brush fire while simultaneously allowing residents to evacuate, if necessary," said LAFD. "For this reason, special parking restrictions may exist on certain narrow streets in brush areas only during 'Red Flag Alert' conditions."

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin also activated Red Flag Parking Restrictions within the city from 7 a.m Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon. The full list of impacted streets can be found here.

The upcoming winds will act as an "atmospheric blow-dryer" for vegetation, bringing a long period of fire risk that could extend into the more populated lower hills and valleys, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

"We really haven't seen a season as dry as this one follow a season as wet as the previous one," Swain said during a Monday livestream. "All of that extra abundant growth of grass and vegetation followed immediately by a wind event of this magnitude while it's still so incredibly dry," elevates the risk.

Recent dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, where there's been very little rain so far this season.

Southern California hasn't seen more than 0.1 inches of rain since early May. Much of the region has fallen into moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Meanwhile, up north, there have been multiple drenching storms.