cnn
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A “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather event is underway in California as dry air and strong winds combine to increase the risk of rapidly spreading “life-threatening” wildfires.

National Weather Service meteorologists unleashed an arsenal of the most dire alerts and language to warn of the threat driven by a “volatile” combination of very dry air and strong santa ana winds.

There is an “extremely critical” Level 3 of 3 fire risk in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California on Wednesday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. It is the most serious fire threat the state has faced since devastating wildfire year 2020.

A rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning, the most extreme form of fire weather warning, was also in effect through Thursday for the same areas of Southern California.

A Level 2 of 3 “critical” risk for fire weather conditions is in effect in Northern California and much of Southern California.

Forecasters warned before this week that this setup appears worryingly similar to those responsible for “some of the worst fires in Southern California history.”

The threat of starting fires is so serious that two of the state’s energy providers cut off power to thousands of Californians to prevent electrical equipment from causing sparks.

More than 11,000 Southern California Edison customers in five counties experienced power outages Wednesday morning. Nearly 250,000 clients could be affected by power outages as conditions warrant, according to the utility’s website.

Thousands of PG&E customers were also affected by power outages Wednesday morning, according to the utility website. The cuts will continue until Thursday.

Electrical equipment can cause fires, especially when conditions are as extreme as forecast through Thursday. PG&E had to pay 45 million dollars in a settlement for his team’s role in starting the Dixie Fire, the second largest in California history, in 2011.

Santa Ana winds first intensified Tuesday night, but will peak Wednesday in many affected locations. Gusts up to 100 mph could occur at higher elevations.

An 85 mph gust was recorded Wednesday morning at Magic Mountain with gusts exceeding 70 mph in the nearby Transverse Ranges in Southern California, according to the weather service. Mount St. Helens in Northern California recorded a wind gust of 75 mph.

Winds are expected to ease Thursday in the state, but dry conditions and abundant dry fire fuels will persist. Wildfires will continue to be a major concern for the state until the rainy seasonwhich normally should already be running.