Another blast of Santa Ana winds Thursday prompted San Diego Gas & Electric to cut off electricity to thousands of residents in another of a wave of power outages that have continued off and on for two weeks.

A critical fire threat will continue across County as Santa Ana winds and dry conditions persist through early Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

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

Santa Ana winds continue to ravage Southern California, posing critical fire concerns across the region. The extremely gusty winds have instigated new fires, known as the Hughes and Sepulveda fires, which have rapidly spread near Los Angeles.

Scores of residents were urged to flee as fast-moving fires hurtled through bone-dry brush in Bonsall and Mission Valley Tuesday

Not only do these winds accelerate the speed and spread of the fires, they also affect how the fires are fought. The strong winds can make it dangerous to fly aircraft used for containing the fires.

James Cauthen, a 54-year-old fire chief with Coweta County Fire in Georgia, was shot and killed while helping drivers who hit a deer in Alabama. The Texas-based designer sent Kai three dresses for the weekend.