Cooler but still well above normal this week

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Forecasters warn that vast parts of Southern California are once again under wildfire risks as strong winds and dry conditions return this weekend through Wednesday.

Firefighters made some progress against ongoing fires overnight to Saturday morning, thanks to a brief reprieve from gusty winds. But wind speeds are picking up and could reach up to 50 mph, with some mountains and foothill areas seeing 75 mph winds over the next few days, according to the 

A red flag warning, indicating heightened wildfire conditions, has been issued for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The fire weather conditions, fueled by moderate to strong Santa Ana winds, are likely to continue through Wednesday, the NWS said.

officials announced Saturday that they have changed the county's alert and notification system to partner with the state's alert center while they investigate the root cause behind 

 sent to more than 10 million Angelenos earlier this week. 

Keep reading for more information, and check back for updates.

The massive Palisades and Eaton fires remain the biggest challenges for firefighters. Only limited progress has been made against these two behemoths, and there are fears that it could be reversed if weather conditions worsen.

, which has scorched over 22,000 acres across Santa Monica and Malibu, is currently 11% contained. Meanwhile, the 

, having burned through nearly 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena, is 15% contained. 

In contrast, significant progress has been made on smaller fires. The 

 near Sylmar reached 76% containment. And the 

, which erupted Thursday and burned over 1,000 acres, is 80% contained.

On Friday, a new small blaze erupted in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley region. Firefighters there were able to quickly control the 

While strong winds and dry conditions helped fuel the fires, the exact cause remains unclear. LA Sheriff Robert Luna said Saturday that the blazes were under an "active and fluid investigation." Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has 

At least 153,000 Angelenos have had to evacuate their homes and about 166,000 people were under evacuation warnings as of Saturday, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department. 

A curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for areas under Palisades and Eaton fire evacuation zones will continue to be in effect until further notice, in response to concerns of burglaries and looting in evacuated areas.

 for more than 600,000 students in and around LA. Several school buildings were burned.

In the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, two elementary schools were lost and one high school was badly damaged. The Pasadena Unified School District also reported damage to five campuses in Altadena. Other districts are still assessing the destruction.

 of the climate calamity. But they also depict the community banding together in the face of tragedy.

At the Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center near central LA, donations 

 so much that the center started to turn them away. In Huntington Beach, a 

 also began housing donations for people affected by the fires. The owners told NPR a seemingly endless stream of volunteers have also appeared.

"We've seen such an outpouring of support," said Lauren Gruel, who runs Calico Fish House with her husband. "My husband and I put out a call to action on our social media, and it kind of just blew up in the best possible way. We're so thankful and grateful that people have trusted us to bring the items that they donated to where they need to go."

The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to 

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Alana Wise

Emma Bowman

Large parts of Southern California are once again under wildfire risks as strong winds and dry conditions return this weekend through Wednesday.

Strong winds pick up, increasing fire danger as firefighters battle LA blazes

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