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Santa Ana Winds Extend Red Flag Warning Through Sunday For Most Of SoCal

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Red flag fire warnings will remain in effect this weekend across most of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside counties due to Santa Ana winds resulting from a high pressure system, coupled with low humidity.

The National Weather Service says that through 6 p.m. Sunday, hot and dry north to northeast winds will gust as high as 40 miles per hour along the 5 Freeway corridor, in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, the Santa Monica mountains and into adjacent portions of Orange County.

These are considered critical fire weather conditions. Extra firefighters were on duty at several fire stations throughout Los Angeles County.

"If fire ignition occurs, there will be the potential for rapid spread of wildfire and extreme fire behavior that would lead to a threat to life and property," the NWS reports.

The winds, which will be the strongest through the passes and canyons, are expected to subside on Monday. But humidity will remain low at under 15 percent at least until Tuesday.

The hot, dry conditions and Santa Ana winds will make firefighting efforts more challenging for crews battling the Canyon Fire 2, which has burned 9,217 acres in Anaheim Hills and was 70 percent contained Saturday morning.

The fire broke out Monday near the 91 Freeway east of Gypsum Canyon Road. The fire has destroyed 25 structures and damaged 48 more.

Full containment is scheduled for Tuesday.

The Canyon Fire 2 erupted about a mile from the area scorched by the recent Canyon Fire, which broke out Sept. 25 and blackened more than 2,600 acres.

(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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