(Bloomberg) -- Hurricane-strength gusts from Santa Ana winds will sweep over the mountains and foothills around Los Angeles, putting the region back on high alert after two weeks of devastating fires.

A rare “particularly dangerous” red flag warning has been raised across the region as wind gusts as strong as 80 miles (129 kilometers) per hour are forecast along the coast and valleys, while the mountains and foothills will be threatened by 100 miles-per-hour gusts through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. Oxnard, Ventura, Malibu and San Fernando are among the cities most in danger.

“If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” the weather service said. “Residents near wildland interfaces should be prepared to evacuate if wildfire breaks out.”

At least 27 people have died, and more than 14,000 structures have been destroyed along with 40,000 acres being consumed by flames, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The Eaton and Palisades Fires, which started Jan. 7, have become the state’s second and fourth most destructive blazes and neither is completely extinguished. The fires have become a political football since they started two weeks ago.

The threat will likely continue all week, as more winds are expected in coming days and the landscape remains parched.

“The overall pattern for at least the next three to four days doesn’t look like there is any improvement,” said Tony Fracasso, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. “Our first hope of rain will probably come this weekend, the Los Angeles area could get 0.1 inch, it’s not a lot but they could use anything.” 

Nearly 3.3 million people will face extreme fire conditions Monday, including in Oxnard and Glendale, California. A larger area, encompassing San Bernardino, Anaheim, as well as other cities, with a total population of more than 11 million will have to contend with a critical threat, the US Storm Prediction Center said.

The high winds and fire threat have caused Southern California Edison to consider shutting power off to almost 250,000 customers throughout the region, with the most in Riverside County, the utility said on its website. Downed powerlines can start fires. At least one wrongful death suit has been filed against parent company Edison International Inc.

Listen on Zero: Will the LA Fires Unleash a Wave of Climate Migrants?

The state’s largest utility, PG&E Corp., filed for bankruptcy in 2019 after a series of deadly blazes were blamed on its wires.

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