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New wildfire warnings issued and more power is shut off as winds rise in Southern California

A helicopter drops water while fighting the Auto Fire in Ventura County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 13. Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Millions Southern Californians faced new wildfire warnings Tuesday, and tens of thousands saw their power shut off as strong winds blew across the parched landscape around Los Angeles where two massive blazes have been burning for a week.

Santa Ana winds that began gusting over the mountains before sunrise were forecast to continue with enough force to carry fire-sparking embers for miles and stoke new outbreaks in a region where at least 24 people have already been killed.

“Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,” LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference.

Much of Southern California was under an elevated fire risk, with crews on high alert across a 300-mile (482 km) stretch from San Diego to far north of Los Angeles. Facing the greatest risk were inland areas north of LA, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley, home to more than 300,000 people, forecasters said.

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