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.

Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.T​housands have been ordered to evacuate in Southern California as the Hughes Fire continues to burn and another fire broke out late Wednesday in Bel Air.

Millions of California residents were placed under a red flag warning through Thursday amid threats of further fires with looming winds in the forecast, according to multiple reports.