After a lull of the strong gusts, forecasters say winds are expected to pick back up Thursday night, increasing the wildfire risk.

There is more wind coming to Southern California on Thursday, Jan. 9 and another batch of Santa Ana winds expected early next week, meteorologists say. “We had a little bit of a decrease in wind last night,

High pressure is building from the north and that will help to tighten the pressure gradient over southern California, producing more gusty winds.

Multiple wildfires are currently raging through Los Angeles County, forcing evacuations and destroying neighborhoods. A long dry summer created ample fuel that has combined with a lack of rainfall over the winter to extend fire season conditions.

The winds are common in California in the colder months, but they can sometimes help spread dangerous wildfires.

Fire crews in Los Angeles have gotten a brief reprieve from brutal Santa Ana winds that have been fueling five wildfires. At least three are still raging at zero containment, and nearly 180,00 people are under mandatory evacuation orders,