The National Weather Service on Tuesday extended its red flag warning for Southern California until Thursday evening.

Red flag conditions will continue through much of the week for parts of Southern California.

The dangerous fire conditions in Southern California are expected to last a little longer than previously anticipated. The red flag warning was set to expire at 2 p.m., but the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in an alert that it had been extended until 10 p.

A red flag warning has been issued for the Inland Empire and some cities in the Coachella Valley as strong gusty winds and low humidity are expected early next week. The warning is in effect from 10 a.

For a few hours overnight, Southern California was not under a red flag warning, but another warning has been issued - which means the critical fire danger isn't over.

Red flag criteria is generally when relative humidity is at 15% or less, combined with sustained winds and/or gusts of 25 mph or greater. Both of these conditions must occur simultaneously for at least 3 hours in a 12 hour period, according to the NWS.

As firefighters struggle to gain control of massive and deadly wildfires that are raging across parts of the Los Angeles area, the region is once again bracing for the potential of new fires and for current ones to intensify as a new storm system heads for the state.

Unless conditions change, the restrictions will be in place within the city through 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, officials said.

State an local officials held a news conference to update Angelenos on the status of the Hughes Fire. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone reported the blaze north of Los Angeles had grown to 9,

A new fast-moving wildfire has erupted in Los Angeles County, triggering evacuations in a region already reeling from the most destructive fires in its history. The Hughes fire ignited north of the city on Wednesday afternoon, near Castaic Lake in a mountainous area that borders several residential areas and schools.

Wednesday, 12:25 p.m. PST The Hughes Fire grew to 3,407 acres, according to Cal Fire, with evacuation orders extending to the community of Castaic and evacuation warnings stretching to the northernmost parts of Santa Clarita, which had an estimated population of 224,028 in 2023.