A short reprieve in the strong destructive winds has granted firefighters an opportunity to curb the spread of the deadly Eaton Fire near Pasadena.

Weather officials have issued a red flag warning for parts of Southern California as extreme fire conditions increase.

Ventura County will kick off the new year with warm, dry and gusty conditions as Santa Ana winds return and increase the potential for critical fire weather.

According to a forecast from the National Weather Service Los Angeles, widespread damaging winds and extreme fire weather conditions are expected to continue through mid-afternoon Wednesday. The winds over Los Angeles will slowly decrease,

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. However, "since the wind speeds are so high now, the slow decrease will not bring the winds down to below warning levels until early evening,

The high winds have fanned flames, causing wildfires to quickly explode in size, and at times made it hard for air support to aid fire crews on the ground.

Southern California braced for another round of wicked Santa Ana winds after three wildfires erupted on Tuesday.