Southern California is facing a rare and dangerous juxtaposition of extreme winds and midwinter drought on Tuesday and Wednesday, a worrying example of the state’s expanding wildfire threat as climate change worsens.

At least 10 new fires had started across Los Angeles County as of Tuesday afternoon, even before the strongest winds were expected to arrive.

The Palisades fire—the largest of them, with ominously billowing towers of smoke visible across most of Los Angeles—began as a brush fire in the Hollywood Hills on Tuesday morning and quickly grew to more than 700 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations, including of celebrities.

The city of Los Angeles warned of a “destructive, widespread, and potentially life-threatening windstorm,” and the National Weather Service called the combination of strong winds and dry conditions a “particularly dangerous situation.” One California-based meteorologist said on social media that it was the most concerned he’s ever been putting a forecast together.

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