Firefighters are battling two fast-growing wildfires in Southern California Wednesday as the state experiences a “particularly dangerous” fire weather event.

Fire officials warned of a "particularly dangerous situation" in LA and Ventura Counties, the highest threat level. LOS ANGELES (CN) — High winds raked much of California and spurred a handful of wildfires Wednesday, including one in the wealthy seaside enclave of Malibu.

Los Angeles, Ventura counties and Santa Barbara counties face especially high risks of wildfires as tens of thousands of residents face possible power shutoffs — with forecasters announcing a rare weather advisory that's typically issued only once every few years,

Strong and "particularly dangerous" Santa Ana winds are expected to return Wednesday, leading to more critical fire threat warnings.

EXTREME FIRE WEATHER. Powerful Santa Ana winds will increase the fire danger in portions of California over the next few days. Red flag warnings (above) have been issued for porti

Wind gusts topping 70 mph in some mountain areas are providing a taste of the conditions that are expected to continue into Thursday.

Evacuation orders were rapidly expanding. Major utilities had also cut power in the region to prevent their equipment from igniting new fires.

Strong Santa Ana winds are expected to start sweeping across parts of Southern California by Wednesday, Nov. 6 — prompting concerns about potential wildfires. “All the wind-prone areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties are going to see pretty significant winds starting late (Tuesday) night or early Wednesday morning,