Dangerous winds returned to Southern California on Tuesday as new wildfires broke out and a pair of major Los Angeles-area blazes burned for a third week, while officials made preparations to protect scorched neighborhoods from

Although Santa Ana winds have weakened, Ken Clark has warned they are expected to continue. The fire risk at Southern California remains with lingering dry weather as of Jan. 21.

Santa Ana winds can occur when the pressure gradient caused by a high-pressure region over the Rockies, in combination with friction, forces air from the mountainous West down the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California.

Two wildfires ignited early Tuesday in San Diego, California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The Lilac Fire had burned about 20 acres at a moderate rate of speed and was zero percent contained, Cal Fire’s San Diego department said in a statement posted on social media.