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.

The Hughes Fire near Castaic, California, has burned over 5,000 acres, prompting evacuations and school closures.

Southern California is expected to be slammed with up to hurricane-strength gusts that could spark a growth in various wildfires through Tuesday morning, officials said.

Just a few years after the ozone hole was detected via satellite, the industrialized nations of the world, meeting in Montreal in 1987, adopted what is known as the Montreal Protocol.

The winds will come and go, with the strongest gusts expected early next week, especially next Monday night and into Tuesday, forecasters said.

After a much quieter weekend, Southern California is experiencing a major shift in the weather pattern. The winds will peak Monday evening and overnight but extend into Tuesday morning.

The Santa Anas are expected to be most powerful Monday night into Tuesday. Fire services across the region say they are ready.

Offshore Santa Ana winds will continue to diminish on Thursday. The winds fueling fires in Southern California are beginning to relax, but the forecast calls for their return next week.

Exhausted firefighters battling deadly infernos for weeks are now grappling with more wildfires scorching Los Angeles County – including the Hughes Fire, which has burned through more than 10,000 acres since it began less than 48 hours ago.

San Diego County expects rain and mountain snow after severe Santa Ana winds and wildfires across Southern California, marking a hopeful turn in a dry water year.

Over 1,100 firefighters were “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address "ongoing critical fire weather," Cal Fire said.