LOS ANGELES – Southern California residents face an extreme fire threat Wednesday due to dry conditions combined with strong Santa Ana winds.

“There is increased confidence in a stronger, more widespread and longer-lasting Santa Ana wind event that will likely bring widespread critical fire weather conditions to many wind-prone areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Wednesday through Thursday.” , according to the National Weather Service. , which called the forecast a “particularly dangerous situation alert warning event in many areas.”

Isolated wind gusts of 80 to 100 mph are possible in the San Gabriel Mountains and foothills, and similar winds are expected again in the mountains Thursday night.

Wind-prone areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties could see damaging gusts of 50 to 70 mph likely in areas such as the Malibu and Ventura coasts, the Los Angeles Basin, Lake Casitas and Ojai, the NWS added. The Channel Islands and Catalina Island are also expected to see gusty winds associated with red flag conditions.

Forecasters said humidity levels are expected to drop between 8% and 15% Wednesday afternoon and continue into Thursday, giving the region a dangerous mix of dry and windy conditions.

Amid dry weather conditions, firefighters are battling a fire that burned 1,500 acres and prompted mandatory evacuation orders in Ventura County.

RELATED: Fire in Ventura County causes evacuations and road closures

The NWS said residents should expect a high risk of power outages and power outages for public safety reasons during this time.

Southern California Edison was warning nearly 47,000 customers in Los Angeles County and more than 8,100 in Orange County that they were under consideration for cuts once gusty winds returned Wednesday.

Weather alerts

Red flag warnings for critical fire weather conditions are in effect for the following:

• from 2 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday in Antelope Valley;
• from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday for Los Angeles County beaches and Palos Verdes hills;
• from 2 a.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Friday in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley Highway Corridor (14), with a “red flag warning of particularly dangerous” in effect in those areas from 9 a.m. Wednesday until 9 a.m. Thursday;
• from 2 a.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Friday on the Golden State (5) Freeway corridor;
• Thursday in the Santa Clarita Valley, the Malibu coast and the San Fernando Valley, with a “particularly dangerous situation red flag warning” in effect in those areas from 9 a.m. Wednesday until 4 pm Wednesday;
• from 2 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday in Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Antelope Valley Foothills and San Gabriel Valley;
• from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday for the Santa Ana Mountains
• from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday for Catalina Island and the inland coast of Los Angeles County, including downtown Los Angeles.
• from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday for coastal areas of Orange County

The CHP also issued a wind advisory throughout the Antelope Valley, including Highway 14 from Ward Road to the Kern County line, urging people driving high-profile vehicles or campers or hauling trailers to use caution.

“This is a dangerous fire weather event. Any new fire in the red flag warning area will have rapid spread, extreme fire behavior and long-range detection,” forecasters said.

Road closures

Due to the predicted winds, the California Highway Patrol announced that Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be closed to non-residents between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway from 6 a.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Friday.

He Santa Ana windswhich are winds that generally blow from the Santa Ana Mountains southeast of Los Angeles toward the coast, affect Southern California every year.