Over 1,100 firefighters were “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address "ongoing critical fire weather," Cal Fire said.

The National Weather Service has extended a Red Flag Warning until Friday morning for San Diego County's inland valleys and mountains.

An uptick in Santa Ana winds Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, combined with critically dry vegetation and low humidity, will result in elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions in County through late Thursday.

Santa Ana winds finally delivered a big, direct hit on San Diego County Tuesday, gusting as high as 102 mph in the backcountry where a touch of long-overdue rain could arrive this weekend.

With the strongest of the winds in the inland valleys and mountains of San Diego County on Monday night through Tuesday morning, the highest wind gusts of 102 mph were recorded in Sill Hill, near Julian. This is a typical wind-prone area in the mountains known for exceptionally high wind gusts, offshore and onshore.

Red flag warnings are in effect until Thursday for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego due to low humidity and relentless Santa Ana winds.

A fast-moving wildfire erupted several miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Diego area today, blackening hundreds of open acres as ground and airborne crews worked to quell the flames amid arid and blustery Santa Ana conditions.

At least 28 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.

LOS ANGELES – Santa Ana winds continued to gust across Southern California Thursday, driving new fires that have forced evacuations in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Firefighters battling a fire in the Sepulveda Basin that has scorched 45 acres in Brentwood have the blaze 60 percent contained Thursday.

Santa Ana winds helped ignite more brush fires in Southern California, but firefighters were able to largely control the large Hughes fire that exploded and forced thousands of evacuations. Rain was forecast this weekend,

The Palisades and Eaton wildfires continue burning in the Los Angeles area, leaving parts of Southern California with devastating fire damage.