Strong winds are fueling wildfires in Southern California that have forced thousands to evacuate.

CAMARILLO, California. — A fast-moving wildfire fueled by strong winds raged through a community northwest of Los Angeles for a second day Thursday. destroying dozens of houses and forced thousands of residents to flee as it grew in size in just a few hours.

The mountain fire prompted evacuation orders for more than 10,000 people Wednesday as it threatened 3,500 structures in suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas around Camarillo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. The fire was 0% contained late Wednesday, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The National Weather Service said a red flag warning, indicating high fire danger conditions, will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday. Winds are expected to calm significantly by Thursday evening, the weather service said.

Officials in several Southern California counties warned residents to watch for fast-moving fires, power outages and downed trees in the latest wave of the outbreak. the notorious Santa Ana winds.

The Mountain Fire was burning in a region that has seen some of the most destructive fires in California in recent years. A thick plume of smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky Wednesday, blanketing entire neighborhoods and limiting visibility for firefighters and evacuees. The fire grew from less than half a square mile (about 1.2 square kilometers) to more than 16 square miles (62 square kilometers) in just over five hours.

Rescuers asked residents to evacuate. Deputies contacted 14,000 people to urge them to leave as embers spread for miles and sparked new flames.

Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said crews raced their engines to homes threatened by the flames to save lives.

“This is as intense as it gets. “I’m sure the hair on the firefighters’ necks stood on end,” he said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Two people apparently suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals Wednesday, fire officials said. None of the firefighters reported serious injuries.

Officials said they used every resource, including helicopters dropping water and planes dropping fire retardant, but the fire still grew out of control. Andrew Dowd, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, said he did not have details on how many structures were damaged.

Meanwhile, in the south, Los Angeles County fire crews struggled to contain a wildfire near Broad Beach in Malibu as authorities briefly closed the Pacific Coast Highway as flames broke out near multimillion-dollar properties. Residents were asked to shelter in place while the plane dropped water on the 50-acre (20-hectare) Broad Fy. By Wednesday evening, the fire was 60% contained and its spread had been stopped, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in a statement. Firefighters reported that two buildings burned down.

With forecast wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) and humidity levels as low as 9%, parts of Southern California could have conditions ripe for an “extreme and life-threatening” fire on Thursday, the weather service said. On Wednesday, wind gusts reached 61 mph (98 kph).

Forecasters also issued red flag warnings through Thursday from California’s central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties to the north, where high winds were also expected.

Utilities in California have begun shutting down equipment. during strong winds and extreme fire hazard following a series of large and deadly wildfires in recent years involving power lines and other infrastructure. On Wednesday, more than 65,000 customers in Southern California remained without power as a precaution and more than 20,000 in Northern California.

Wednesday’s fires were burning in the same areas as other recent destructive fires, including the 2018 fire. Woolsey Firewhich killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes near Los Angeles, and the 2017 Thomas Fire, which destroyed more than a thousand homes and other structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Southern California Edison paid tens of millions of dollars to settle claims after its equipment was blamed for both fires.

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Dazio and Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, Olga Rodriguez and Janie Har in San Francisco and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.