Forecasters expect Wednesday will be noticeably windier than Tuesday and firefighters warned that vegetation is critically dry.

A red flag warning for critical fire danger, due to strong winds and low humidity, will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday for the County mountains and inland valleys.

Wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph in the mountains and 30 to 50 mph on the coasts and valleys are forecast for Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Wednesday. Residents exhausted by days of fire face red flag warnings with the rare "particularly dangerous situation" designation issued for those counties through Wednesday afternoon.

The latest red flag warning includes the Inland Empire and Orange County, as well as the already ravaged Los Angeles area.

As firefighters struggle to gain control of massive and deadly wildfires that are raging across parts of the Los Angeles area, the region is once again bracing for the potential of new fires and for current ones to intensify as a new storm system heads for the state.

Here's a guide to understanding "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warnings, containment, and other terms related to the devastating fires that have left much of the LA area in ruins.

A red flag warning has been issued through Wednesday in Southern California because of potentially dangerous fire conditions. The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings when threatening wildfire conditions are more likely.

Dry and windy conditions are in the forecast Monday and through mid-week in San Diego County, with critical fire weather expected for valleys, coastal mountain slopes, and chances of light rain west of the mountains next weekend,

San Diego County has slipped back into severe drought conditions, with a new round of Santa Ana winds and critical fire weather conditions exacerbating the risk for wildfires to spread rapidly.

The area under the latest warning stretches from San Luis Obispo through Los Angeles to San Diego and the Mexican border.