With the strongest gusts expected on Tuesday, extreme fire condition threats will prevail until midweek, L.A.-area fire chiefs say.

In recent days, however, the region’s powerful Santa Ana winds—which have been fanning the flames—have begun to slow down. This lull has offered firefighters a reprieve and a key opportunity to make progress against the blazes, but forecasts suggest the Santa Ana will return next week. What are these gusts, and how have they become so strong?

Dangerous Santa Ana winds are expected to return to the Los Angeles area this week, potentially fueling the growth of new and existing wildfires, according to FOX Weather.

Dangerous winds forecast to hit Los Angeles next week could rekindle the devastating fires that have wreaked havoc on the US West Coast for almost two weeks, meterologists said on Sunday. The National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles predicted "damaging Santa Ana winds and extreme fire weather" to hit the city Monday through Tuesday,

Santa Ana winds are caused by strong high pressure over the Great Basin region of the West creating a pressure gradient that amps up winds through the mountains, foothills and sometimes valleys of Southern California. In this case, the winds are getting a major boost from a strong upper-level low pushing southward across the state.

Red Flag Warnings remain in effect through Friday evening for much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, the National Weather Service said.

Helping drive the wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles are the so-called Santa Ana winds, a weather phenomenon known to dry out "the hills and the nerves to flash point."

National Weather Service offices across Southern California are warning residents of an increase in weather conditions that are conducive to rapid fire growth. Meteorologists are most concerned about conditions from Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning when winds will be at their peak and relative humidity will be low.

The latest Santa Ana winds will return Monday, with the strongest gusts expected Monday night into Tuesday morning, as Los Angeles fires continue to burn.

Wildfires fueled by strong Santa Ana winds have devastated Southern California, destroying thousands of homes and causing 27 deaths. The fires, affecting urban areas and the Olympic preparation, are worsened by climate change and urban expansion.

Firefighters made progress battling back the deadly Los Angeles blazes overnight into Saturday, Jan, 18. as President-elect Donald Trump said he likely will visit the fire-torn areas next week. “I will be, probably, at the end of the week,” Trump told NBC News in an interview on Saturday.