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 Los Angeles region, still reeling from this month’s firestorm, is under a red-flag warning from noon Monday through Tuesday morning.

Southern California braces for a ferocious return of fire danger as the National Weather Service issues its most urgent warning for extreme fire weather.

Forecasters in Southern California expect to issue a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for the coming week as the Santa Ana wind forecast worsens.

As of Jan. 10, the official causes of the fires were unknown. However, one factor that is known to have quickly hastened the flames' spread is the powerful Santa Ana winds. These fierce winds — common from September through May — had maximum gust speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour, allowing embers and flames to quickly reach new fuel sources.

How dry is it in Southern California? See the drought levels and recent rainfall totals for several counties in the region.

With more critical fire weather this week in Los Angeles, the National Weather Service once again issued one of its strongest warnings possible.

The NWS San Diego CA issued an updated high wind warning at 9:43 p.m. on Sunday valid from Monday 8 p.m. until Tuesday 8 p.m. The warning is for San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire,