LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- At least 28 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across Southern California.
Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active.
Gusty conditions will return Wednesday, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service's office for Los Angeles.
Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through Thursday at 8 p.m. across L.A. and Ventura counties.
There's a chance of some rain for Southern California this weekend, raising fears of debris flows on scorched hillsides.
ABC News and 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.
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.
"Ultimately every situation is different but for all of these if a fire were to develop it has the potential to grow explosively," said Dr. Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
A PDS is for areas already under red-flag warnings. This week's PDS warning includes western portions of L.A. County, Ventura, parts of the San Fernando Valley and even extends up the 5 Freeway.
"We're already seeing these damaging wind gusts setting up across the area. It's already being realized," Cohen said.
NWS Los Angeles issued its first two PDS warnings in 2020. Then came two years of near-record rainfall and extensive vegetation growth.
So why are there so many PDS alerts this year? The recent dry spell, available fuels and strong winds all together form an extremely dangerous combination.
"All of that fuel was drying out and available to burn," Cohen said. "We have winds that dry the fuels out further and without precipitation again it's a very volatile situation."
A small grass fire erupted in the Granada Hills area near the 405 Freeway.
Northbound lanes of the 405 were closed as crews put out flames. The fire was contained after burning three acres.
