Hot and dry conditions with extreme winds have people in Silverado Canyon taking extra precautions. Vikki Vargas reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014.
Fire strike teams will work in the Angeles National Forest over the next few days as heat and humidity combine to make for tinderbox conditions.
The teams from Northern California will be on hand 24 hours a day, working fire suppression until the winds die out and a Red Flag warning expires.
"The forest fire danger level has been at very high since last year, and conditions are not expected to change anytime soon," said Jim Hall, forest fire chief with the U.S. Forest Service.
With high winds in the forecast through Wednesday, Southern California Edison warned that people should never approach or touch downed power lines.
A red flag warning went into effect Sunday night for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Strong winds are also forecast for Orange County and the Inland Empire, as well as the mountains and high desert areas.
A red flag warning means that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures will contribute for extreme fire behavior.
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"These winds are treacherous; just a small fire and it could rapidly take off," said Orange County fire Capt. Steve Concialdi.
Wind gusts peaked at nearly 50 mph at Leo Carrillo Beach in Malibu on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Other Southern California areas saw winds nearly 40 mph.
Temperatures will continue to heat up — with highs between 80 and 90 degrees in some areas — through Thanksgiving.
Strong winds of up to 60 mph and humidity levels as low as 5 percent are in the forecast for the next two days, according to the NWS.
The current fire threat comes just two months after a 100-acre brush fire blazed through Silverado Canyon in Orange County.
"We've got good news and bad news,"said Tom Smisek, a resident of Silverado Canyon. "Bad news — we had a fire. Good news — there’s nothing left to burn."
