Santa Ana winds are whipping Southern California on Tuesday, sparking fresh fears that progress made fighting wildfires that have scorched over 40,000 acres and left 27 dead could be reversed and more blazes could break out.

RELATED COVERAGE: Firefighters are battling the Ted Williams Fire that broke out near Poway. The fire is currently two acres and is threatening structures, according to Cal Fire. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has issued Evacuation Warnings for nearby areas.

San Diego wildfires resulted in residents evacuating the area. Two fires occurred early Tuesday morning. Intense winds are causing dangerous fire conditions in communities. Wildfires in San Diego have led to mandatory evacuations in the area on Tuesday.

Much of inland San Diego County was whipped yet again by a strong Santa Ana wind event Monday into Tuesday, contributing to risky fire conditions as the region remains bone-dry.

San Diego County remains under the grip of another round of moderate to strong Santa Ana winds, paired with extremely dry air, elevating critical fire weather concerns.

Forecasters say weaker winds will hit on Saturday night and Sunday, and that there will be no relief until the county gets rain.

"The fire is growing with a moderate rate of spread and structures are threatened," Cal Fire said as it issued evacuation orders.

Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking.

Despite dangerous wind conditions, fire crews made quick work of a brush fire near the Griffith Observatory. The extreme winds are posing another serious threat of wildfires across Southern California.

Two wildfires ignited early Tuesday in San Diego, California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The Lilac Fire had burned about 20 acres at a moderate rate of speed and was zero percent contained, Cal Fire’s San Diego department said in a statement posted on social media.

As winds across Southern California are calmer and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue.