Strong winds return to Southern California; crews on high alert

The latest red-flag warning affecting Southern California has fire crews in Orange County mobilizing.

Anaheim Fire and Rescue Chief Patrick Russell knows very well the risk the strong winds pose.

"When we get winds like this, Fremont Canyon, and some other areas blow pretty hard into Anaheim," Chief Russell said. "Anaheim has very large wildland urban interface area. And like I said, we've had several large fires throughout the years."

Strike teams are prepositioned throughout the city in fire prone areas.

Chief Russell said, "They can be extremely hard to fight. They can be very dangerous for our citizens to evacuate and all of our firefighters that are out there trying to combat the fires."

Extra firefighters and resources are ready to go in case something were to spark.

"It's a huge strain to do what we do, but they always put their hand in the air to volunteer to help," he said.

After the deadly fires in LA County, Jamie Stevenson and her family are fully aware of the danger.

"The way that it was just jumping from one spot to the next to the next in more of the flat areas and not in the wilderness kind of area woods area really kind of made it a little bit more clear for us that this really can happen anywhere," Stevenson said.

They're making sure loved ones are paying attention to weather conditions and staying safe.

She said, "Talked to my parents about really making sure that they have a plan of being able to get out if they need to."

Chief Russell urges people to have a plan in place which includes having a bag ready to go, an escape route and communicating with neighbors.

Windy and dry conditions returned to Southern California on Monday, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking as firefighters continue to battle two major blazes in the Los Angeles area that started in similar weather nearly two weeks ago.

Gusts could peak at 70 mph along the coast and 100 mph in the mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that is expected to last through Tuesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning of a "particularly dangerous situation" for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning due to low humidity and damaging Santa Ana winds. Gusts could peak at 70 mph along the coast and 100 mph in the mountains and foothills.

A red flag warning is also in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

Santa Ana winds are expected to stay through Tuesday afternoon. Here's a possible timeline:

The "particularly dangerous situation" warning went into effect at noon Monday and will expire Tuesday at 10 a.m. The strongest wind gusts are expected to come overnight Monday into early Tuesday with gusts anywhere between 40 to 50 mph - creating dangerous fire conditions.

FULL FORECAST: Los Angeles weather: Santa Ana winds return with a 'particularly dangerous situation', elevating risk of wildfires

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More than 60 parks in Los Angeles will be closed through Tuesday due to the strong winds and extreme fire danger, including Griffith Park, Elysian Park, Lake Hollywood Park, and the Sepulveda Basin recreation area.

Nine other parks and facilities, including Runyon Canyon and Palisades Park and Recreation Center, remain closed until further notice.

For more information visit https://www.laparks.org/.

Strong winds appeared to be blowing ash from the Eaton Fire over communities near Sierra Madre, helicopter reporter Gabe Santos reported.

Strong winds appeared to be blowing ash from the Eaton Fire over communities near Sierra Madre, helicopter reporter Gabe Santos reported.

Residents are advised to stay indoors if possible and wear a mask when outdoors.

While Santa Ana winds will clear smoke, forecasters say it will carry toxic ash to areas south and west of the burn zones. Although ash can travel hundreds of miles, the highest impacted cities are those closest and downwind.

For the Eaton Fire that includes La Canada, La Crescenta, Glendale and other parts of the San Fernando Valley. The National Weather Service says much of the Palisades' ash will be carried out to sea, although nearby coastal communities may be impacted. Neighborhoods near the Kenneth and Hurst fires may also see ash blowing.