California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed a fast-moving wildfire, which destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes.

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that caused humidity levels to drop and raised the risk of wildfires in much of the state. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly dangerous situation” label.