Southern California is braced for "extremely critical fire conditions" caused by a new period of Santa Ana winds of up to 50 mph.

First discovered: 6:49 a.m. Jan. 14 A new wildfire was reported today at 6:49 a.m. in Los Angeles County. The wildfire has been burning on private land. There is currently no information about the containment efforts for the fire and its cause has yet to be determined.

After making some progress battling wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area, firefighters prepared for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the flames.

After a weekend spent blocking the explosive growth of fires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area, firefighters got a slight break with calmer weather but cast a wary eye on a forecast for yet more wind.

Republican lawmakers from states that have been devastated by natural disasters don't exactly love the idea of withholding aid to California.

California and other Democratic-controlled states would need to atone for “bad behavior,” if they wanted federal assistance, one lawmaker said.