Jan. 8, 1:25 p.m. PST The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades—an affluent coastal neighborhood—exploded to 15,832 acres, according to Cal Fire, making it the largest fire of the four burning in Los Angeles County as of Wednesday afternoon.

Southern Californians are bracing for gusty winds and a heightened risk of wildfires less than two weeks after deadly blazes that have killed at least 27 people and ravaged thousands of homes

The National Weather Service issued its highest fire weather alert level for portions of the Los Angeles area for Monday into Tuesday morning, as powerful Santa Ana winds return. Threat level: The "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Red Flag Warning indicates any fires that ignite could quickly grow out of control.

After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana winds.

Dangerous winds forecast to hit Los Angeles next week could rekindle the devastating fires that have wreaked havoc on the US West Coast for almost two weeks, meterologists said on Sunday. The National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles predicted "damaging Santa Ana winds and extreme fire weather" to hit the city Monday through Tuesday,