The last time it was this dry in January, there were barely more than 500 people in San Diego. The year was 1850, and only a quarter-inch of rain had fallen in six months. It made the region ripe for wildfire — but that wasn’t much of a concern. The city’s population was clustered along the coast, far from the backcountry, where most fires burned.

The National Weather Service has extended a Red Flag Warning until Friday morning for San Diego County's inland valleys and mountains.

An uptick in Santa Ana winds Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, combined with critically dry vegetation and low humidity, will result in elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions in County through late Thursday.

Dangerous conditions continue to develop in San Diego County, with red flag warnings and strong winds increasing the wildfire threat. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings until 8 p.m. Thursday for inland valleys and mountain areas, with winds expected to reach 30 to 45 mph with gusts of 60 to 75 mph.

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

San Diego County expects rain and mountain snow after severe Santa Ana winds and wildfires across Southern California, marking a hopeful turn in a dry water year.

A wind-driven wildfire charred dozens of acres in the sparsely developed northeastern reaches of San Diego County, damaging structures and forcing pre-dawn evacuations before crews could gain the upper hand on the flames Wednesday.

The fire was reported around 2:20 p.m. Thursday in the Otay Mountains of San Diego's South Bay near the border.

Cal Fire says an evacuation order has been issued for residents who live in the red shaded areas shown in the maps below. This means that there is an immediate threat and you need

For the latest updates on the fires, follow USA TODAY's coverage for Friday, Jan. 24. SAN DIEGO − Firefighters on Thursday battled a fast-moving blaze in northern Los Angeles County that closed schools and forced thousands to flee their homes and two new fires near San Diego amid relentless Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions that have kept Southern California on high alert for over two weeks.

Weekend rains could bring some relief to Southern California, as firefighters continue to fight to establish greater containment over the Hughes, Palisades and Eaton fires. But if dry weather returns,