Southern California is facing fierce fires fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which threaten homes and put firefighters to the test.

Meteorologists said there was a chance the winds would be as severe as those that fueled the Palisades and Eaton fires, but that different locations would likely be affected.

Critical fire conditions are expected to continue through Friday. But rain could be on the way this weekend. Here's what to know.

The National Weather Service issued its highest fire weather alert level for portions of the Los Angeles area for Monday into Tuesday morning, as powerful Santa Ana winds return. Threat level: The "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Red Flag Warning indicates any fires that ignite could quickly grow out of control.

Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking.

(KWTX) -One of the major factors that made the January Los Angeles fires so devastating was the very strong Santa Ana winds. This week we are talking with Alex Tardy, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in San Diego,

Forecasters in Southern California expect to issue a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for the coming week as the Santa Ana wind forecast worsens.

Another moderate to strong Santa Ana wind event is expected to develop across Southern California during the first half of the workweek.

After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana Winds Monday.

Strong, damaging Santa Ana winds are expected to bring extreme ... a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard, California. The areas likely to see the strongest gusts ...

Fire season continues to drag on with another round of Santa Ana ... The winds were expected to increase again on Wednesday. Gusts could reach 40 to 60 mph overnight, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

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