Strong Santa Ana winds are fueling multiple wildfires across Southern California, forcing thousands of residents to flee from their homes.

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning starting Monday for San Diego County's inland valleys and mountains.

National Weather Service offices across Southern California are warning residents of an increase in weather conditions that are conducive to rapid fire growth. Meteorologists are most concerned about conditions from Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning when winds will be at their peak and relative humidity will be low.

The Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index is warning Southern Californians of high risk conditions this week. Winds will increase on Tuesday, likely peaking Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, then weakening some on Thursday. It will be critically dry, and fire danger will be high. Be prepared.

The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires covered more than 5,600 acres of Southern California as of Wednesday morning. Tens of thousands were under mandatory evacuation orders but the fires increased in size overnight, helped by the blustery Santa Ana winds.

On Tuesday, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's (SMMUSD) four Malibu schools closed due to red flag warnings and power shutoffs in the area. The ongoing Santa Ana winds prompted the closures. This included Webster Elementary, Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle School and Malibu High School.

The fires devastating California are exacerbated by warm winds similar to what Alberta experiences, which is a risk the Calgary Fire Department prepares for.

Santa Ana winds in Southern California are often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire.

In a state that averages more than 7,500 wildfires a year some California homeowners keep helmets and fire hoses handy. However, the Los Angeles fires demonstrate a new reality: Wildfires in the state are growing larger and more ferocious and burning into suburbs and cities more often,

Nearly 90,000 households lost electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes.

An Associated Press analysis found the first evacuation order covering neighborhoods closest to the start of the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire didn’t come until about 40 minutes after some of those homes were already burning.