LOS ANGELES>> Forecasters warned that dangerous winds will buffet Southern California for at least two more days as new wildfires broke out on Tuesday, a pair of major Los Angeles-area blazes burned for a third week, and officials made preparations to protect scorched neighborhoods from toxic ash runoff ahead of potential rain this weekend.

Winds eased somewhat Tuesday afternoon after peaking at 60 mph in many areas, but gusty conditions will return Wednesday, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office for Los Angeles.

“If a fire were to get started it could grow pretty fast,” Kittell said. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through Thursday at 8 p.m. across L.A. and Ventura counties.

Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned across the region allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA and San Diego counties, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

“Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire,” Acuna said. He said another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires near Los Angeles, could break their containment lines.

As a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades area, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of possible rain this weekend that could create mud and debris flows.

“This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff,” Bass said during a news conference.

There’s a 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch, Kittell said. However, up to an inch of rain could fall during localized thunderstorms, which would be a “worst-case scenario” if it’s enough to trigger debris flows on scorched hillsides, he said.

“But even if the rain doesn’t materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said.

Evacuations were ordered Tuesday when the Friars fire broke out near a San Diego mall and flames ran up a hillside toward residences, Cal Fire said.

Meanwhile, evacuation orders were lifted for the Lilac fire in the Bonsall area of San Diego County, which burned at least 85 acres of dry brush after threatening structures, the agency said. Nearby, crews fully contained the 17-acre Pala fire.

Los Angeles firefighters on Monday quickly extinguished a small brush fire near the iconic Griffith Observatory in a sprawling park overlooking the city. A man suspected of starting the fire was taken into custody, L.A. police said. Fire crews also quickly extinguished a small blaze near Tujunga and another one along Interstate 405 in the Granada Hills neighborhood that temporarily closed northbound lanes.