The upcoming winds will act as an “atmospheric blow-dryer” for vegetation, bringing a long period of fire risk that could extend into the more populated lower hills and valleys, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

As a major winter storm batters the Midwest and East Coast, the National Weather Service is warning a destructive windstorm could hit Southern California.

The strongest winds in more than a decade could hit Southern California, potentially causing structural damage and bringing extreme fire risk to areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months

Less than one month after the devastating Franklin Fire, Southern California could be in for more wildfire risks with extreme dry winds on their way.