Tens of thousands fled their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades quickly spread to nearly 3,000 acres Tuesday, a blaze that authorities said could grow further as even stronger winds are expected through the night.

Forecasters warned Southern California could see a “life-threatening, destructive” windstorm this week, as powerful gusts and dropped humidity levels raise the risk for wildfires in parched areas still recovering from a recent destructive blaze.

For the third time since early November, parts of Southern California’s Los Angeles and Ventura counties are under a red-flag warning for extreme fire danger.