Santa Ana winds could fan the flames of Southern CA wildfires

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Forecasters warned of a new round of Santa Ana winds they fear could fan further fires across Southern California, while authorities concluded that a destructive Malibu blaze started over the weekend at a popular hangout in a canyon above the city. The remnants of the nearly 20.72-sq. kilometer Malibu blaze was fully contained, as the National Weather Service issued "red flag" warnings for fire danger from 3 a.m. Wednesday until evening in parts of Los Angeles County. The warning was extended to the northwest in Ventura County because of predicted strong winds overnight and low humidity. Fire weather watches were issued for much of the rest of the region to the east and southeast, including San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and San Diego counties. The dry winds could produce gusts as high as 80 kph in and below some canyons and passes, the Weather Service said. The winds were expected to die by midday Wednesday, but humidity levels could remain low into Thursday.