A “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather event is underway in California as dry air and strong winds combine to ramp up the risk of “life-threatening” and rapid wildfire spread.

California is bracing for another round of powerful winds that will cause humidity levels to drop and raise the risk of wildfires in much of the state.

Forecasters in California continue to prepare for a potentially harrowing 48 hours of “extremely critical” wildfire danger. Extremely dry vegetation will combine with strong winds to promote rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, and there’s significant risk that one or more large-scale fires could spark.