Santa Ana winds will continue whipping through Southern California through Thursday, sparking fears that progress made fighting wildfires that have scorched over 40,000 acres and left 28 dead could be reversed and more blazes could break out.

As winds across the Southern California area are calmer than their peak and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the fire-weary region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue in the coming days.

Fire-weary Los Angeles is in line for at least a brief reprieve from the dryness and wind that have fueled devastating wildfires in Southern California this month. LA and surrounding areas are set to receive a small but measurable amount of rain this weekend,

The fire threat remains critical in Southern California, where thousands of residents were under evacuation orders Wednesday as fire crews battled the out-of-control Hughes Fire near Castaic, a suburb in the foothills and mountains of northern Los Angeles County.

A fresh California wildfire erupted north of Los Angeles Wednesday during critical fire weather and triggered evacuations as it quickly exploded in size across two counties on Wednesday — and forecasters warn conditions will worsen through the night.