Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking

Southern California is expected to be slammed with up to hurricane-strength gusts that could spark a growth in various wildfires through Tuesday morning, officials said.

As winds across the Southern California area are calmer than their peak and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the fire-weary region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue in the coming days.