By JAIMIE DING, JULIE WATSON and JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Millions of Southern Californians were on edge as a final round of dangerous fire weather was forecast for the region on Wednesday, along with a rare warning of a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for an area near where two massive blazes have killed at least 25 and destroyed thousands of homes. Firefighters got a reprieve Tuesday when winds were unexpectedly light and they were able to make progress battling the two huge Los Angeles area fires and quickly snuff out several new fires. The Eaton Fire burning just north of Los Angeles and the Palisades Fire that destroyed much of the seaside LA neighborhood of Pacific Palisades broke out Jan. 7 in conditions similar to what’s expected Wednesday. High winds last week pushed flames at remarkable speed and carried fire-sparking embers sometimes miles away. A helicopter drops water while fighting the Auto Fire in Ventura County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A burned fire hydrant drips water in front of charred trees in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The sun rises behind a burned out home in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The entrance to a classroom is seen at Palisades High School in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) The inside of a classroom is seen at Palisades High School in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Search and rescue workers dig through the rubble left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) A vehicle is driven through a burned mountain road in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Members of a San Bernardino County Fire Department Search and Rescue crew work among the ruins of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) A search and rescue crew sifts through the wreckage of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher) Search and rescue workers dig through the rubble left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ty O’Neil) Search and rescue workers dig through the rubble left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ty O’Neil) A cat wanders amidst cars destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Kaylin Johnson, whose home is one of the few that survived the Eaton Fire in her neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., visits her neighbor’s home Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) The Johnson family, whose home is one of the few that survived the Eaton Fire in their neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., prays with pastors outside their home Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Kaylin Johnson, right, and her brother, Marques, whose home is one of the few that survived the Eaton Fire in their neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., pass the time outside their home Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, as they hunker down without power. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Solar lights remain on outside a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) A burnt car destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) National guardsmen stage at Will Rogers State Historic Park to monitor activity after the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A search and rescue worker sifts through the wreckage of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher) Trucks drive through a neighborhood destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher) Search and rescue workers dig through the rubble left behind by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A firefighter cuts down trees while setting containment lines in front of the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Charred vehicles sit along the Pacific Coast Highway, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Workers pull a burnt car out of the wreckage of a home destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Denise Johnson, whose home is one of the few that survived the Eaton Fire in her neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., holds her cat Ramsey as she and her two children hunker down without power to care for their pets and protect the home Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen at sunset in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A California Department of Corrections hand crew works containment lines ahead of the Palisades Fire Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Show Caption1 of 28A helicopter drops water while fighting the Auto Fire in Ventura County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Expand The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings – done when temperatures are warm, humidity is low and strong winds are expected – from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. from the Central Coast 275 miles south to the border with Mexico. The “Particularly Dangerous Situation” was in effect for an area that includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. “Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said in a post late Tuesday. “The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.” More than 77,000 households were without electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes. A state of alert Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes. Related Articles National News | Biden announces 2 new national monuments in California after wildfires scuttled previous event National News | SEC sues Elon Musk, saying he didn’t disclose Twitter ownership on time before buying it National News | Obesity won’t be solely defined by BMI under new plan for diagnosis by global experts National News | Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs say sex acts are distorted by ‘sexist and puritanical’ prosecution National News | Daily News, NY Times ask NY judge to reject OpenAI, Microsoft challenges to copyright suit Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. One was using a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush and a third tried to light a trash can, he said. All were far outside the disaster zones. Authorities have not determined a cause for any of the major fires. Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy award from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. The biggest worry remained the threat from intense winds. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flareups or new blazes. The firefighting force was much bigger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the nation’s costliest fire disaster. Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in Altadena, near Pasadena. They intended to keep watch to ward off looting and to hose down the house and her neighbors’ properties to prevent flareups. “Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely,” Johnson said via text message, adding that they cannot freely come and go because of restrictions on entering the burn areas. “But I would rather be here and not leave than to not be allowed back at all.” Packed and ready to go Residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape. Javier Vega, who said he feels like he has been “sleeping with one eye open,” and his girlfriend have planned out how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they get orders to evacuate. “Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4:00 in the morning, that would drive anyone crazy,” Vega said. But figuring they were helping firefighters to keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, “it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep.” Preparing for another outbreak Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticized over their initial response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she described as resembling the aftermath of a “dry hurricane.” Winds this time were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week but they could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said. He urged homeless people to avoid starting fires for warmth and to seek shelter. Wildfires on the rise across LA With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area. Firefighters have jumped on small blazes that popped up, quickly smothering several in Los Angeles county, including a blaze Tuesday evening in the Angeles National Forest. The four largest fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Of these, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze, in Pacific Palisades on the coast, was far less contained. Searching for victims The death toll is likely to rise, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Nearly 30 people were still missing, he said Tuesday. Some people reported as missing earlier have been found. Just under 90,000 people in the county remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week. Hollywood on hold Hollywood’s awards season has been put on hiatus because of the crisis. The Oscar nominations have been delayed twice, and some organizations postponed their awards shows and announcements without rescheduling. Watson reported from San Diego, and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber and Lindsey Bahr in Los Angeles, Lisa Baumann and Hallie Golden in Seattle and Julie Walker in New York contributed.