Fresh off destructive wind and firestorms, the forecast remains daunting for Southern California with additional damaging Santa Ana wind threats and critical fire weather danger continuing at times over the next several days.

The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires covered more than 5,600 acres of Southern California as of Wednesday morning. Tens of thousands were under mandatory evacuation orders but the fires increased in size overnight, helped by the blustery Santa Ana winds.

At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest have already killed at least five people, burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 179,