Los Angeles (CNN) Every day firefighters in Los Angeles receive a brush burning index report that indicates the fire danger. If it's 165 or higher, that's extreme.

The number for Thursday is 296, the highest it has ever been, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas.

Terrazas and other officials in Southern California warned residents Wednesday evening that a series of wildfires fueled by wicked Santa Ana winds and dangerously dry vegetation likely was going to get even worse in the next 24 hours.

"We stand a fairly good chance of a very challenging night and day (Thursday)," said Tim Chavez, a fire behavior analyst for CalFire, at a news conference on the 90,000-acre Thomas Fire in Ventura County. "There's a lot of potential for some large fire growth (for this fire)."

More than 100,000 acres in Southern California have burned with little containment. Overworked firefighters caught a little bit of a break Wednesday when the winds eased somewhat, but the forecast for the next three days was bad news on top of bad news.

The winds will pick up, with gusts up to 64 mph, before they taper down again. Humidity will be super dry -- less than 10%. Red flag warnings will be in effect through Saturday night, 24 hours later than originally predicted.

Latest developments

• Told to leave: Evacuations in some of the area's most affluent neighborhoods near the Skirball Fire affected 46,000 people, officials said. The fire was on the other side of the highway from both the Skirball museum and the Evacuations in some of the area's most affluent neighborhoods near the Skirball Fire affected 46,000 people, officials said. The fire was on the other side of the highway from both the Skirball museum and the Getty museum , where the art was staying put

• Freeway shutdown: The 475-acre Skirball Fire near the tony Bel-Air area of Los Angeles startled morning commuters on Interstate 405. The busy freeway was shut down over a 9-mile stretch for hours as the fire got close. "It was dark until I saw a gigantic ball of orange," I-405 motorist Tiffany Lynette Anderson The 475-acre Skirball Fire near the tony Bel-Air area of Los Angeles startled morning commuters on Interstate 405. The busy freeway was shut down over a 9-mile stretch for hours as the fire got close. "It was dark until I saw a gigantic ball of orange," I-405 motorist Tiffany Lynette Anderson wrote on Instagram , where she posted a picture of fire raging beside the highway before it was closed. "I could feel the heat on my windows," said Los Angeleno Joy Newcomb, who also drove by the fire. The freeway has since reopened, but some ramps remain closed.

Brandy Gillespie took this photo driving on I-405 early Wednesday near the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

• Curfew enacted: On Tuesday, the city of Ventura declared a daily curfew, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., to protect residents and prevent crime such as looting in evacuation areas.

• Creek Fire in northern Los Angeles: The second-largest blaze is the Creek Fire, having burned more than 12,000 acres in and near northern Los Angeles' Sylmar and Tujunga neighborhoods since it began Tuesday morning. Seven firefighters suffered injuries that aren't considered life-threatening.

• Masks suggested: The smoke resulting from the Thomas fire is creating a "severe impact on air quality and visibility," the Ventura County Fire Department said on Twitter.

• School closures: More than 260 : More than 260 Los Angeles public and charter schools will be closed Thursday and Friday.

• Out-of-state help: About 300 engines are coming from fire departments in other states, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said.

• Other fires: The Rye Fire near Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County grew to about 7,000 acres.

#RyeFire [update] off Rye Canyon Loop, west of Valencia (Los Angeles County) is now 7,000 acres and 10% contained. https://t.co/93hhxUfTfh pic.twitter.com/jTnCMrh7GL — CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) December 7, 2017

Smoky hazards

Los Angeles authorities ordered parts of the Bel-Air district near the fire to leave, but those are just a fraction of the evacuations that have been ordered in Southern California since Monday night.

#SantaAnaWinds to intensify and become damaging overnight into Thu. Here are the projected wind gusts for Thu morning. Be prepared for downed trees/powerlines , blowing dust/debris, power outages, and very rapid fire spread. #LAWind #LAWeather #cawx pic.twitter.com/PniAv9LdZV — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) December 7, 2017

Smoke collected even in areas that weren't burning. Health officials warned people in the heavily populated San Fernando Valley and other parts of the northern Los Angeles area to limit their time outdoors

A video posted to Instagram shows a Los Angeles County Fire helicopter maneuvering around heavy smoke to make a water drop on the Skirball Fire.

The smoke from the fires could be seen from the International Space Station. Astronaut Randy Bresnik wrote in one tweet: "I was asked this evening if we can see the SoCal fires from space. Yes Faith, unfortunately we can. May the Santa Ana's die down soon. #Californiawildfire." In another post he thanked the thousands of people fighting the fires.

Thank you to all the first responders, firefighters, and citizens willing to help fight these California wildfires. #CaliforniaWildfires pic.twitter.com/TyeGx4z85Q — Randy Bresnik (@AstroKomrade) December 7, 2017

More than 100 square miles big

The Thomas Fire spanned about 101 square miles in Ventura County, which sits just north and west of Los Angeles.

At least five homes turned to rubble after #VenturaFire rolled through. A 360 view from just one street. This is a portion of Heidelberg ave. pic.twitter.com/DkGjw3N8Tp — Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) December 5, 2017

Officials there said they couldn't give a precise number of homes destroyed, because flames in burned neighborhoods still were too intense for examination. But they had estimated about 150 buildings early Tuesday. The number will increase once the focus shifts from firefighting and rescue to more damage assessment, fire officials said.

On Wednesday, the fire grew significantly on the northern side of the blaze.

JUST WATCHED See in 360°: Aftermath of the Ventura fire Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH See in 360°: Aftermath of the Ventura fire 01:13

Airborne embers were irritating firefighters' eyes, said Rich Macklin, a Ventura County fire spokesman.

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared an emergency for Ventura County, freeing state resources such as the National Guard to support response efforts.

Flaming tumbleweeds shoot into the air

At his home on Solimar Beach in Ventura, Phil Lee was tired and nervous.

He had a restless night Tuesday into Wednesday after fire put on a startling show near his waterfront home.

There was a deep thicket of brush nearby that had survived a 2015 wildfire.

Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames from a back-firing operation rise behind a home off Ladera Lane near Bella Vista Drive in Santa Barbara, California, on Thursday, December 14. Powerful Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions are fueling wildfires in Southern California in what has been a devastating year for such natural disasters in the state. Hide Caption 1 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Fire, smoke and ash from the Thomas Fire blanket Santa Barbara on Wednesday, December 13. Hide Caption 2 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A smoke-filled sky filters sunlight to orange around a surfer as the Thomas Fire continues to grow and threaten communities from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara on Tuesday, December 12, in Carpinteria, California. Hide Caption 3 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California People watch as firefighters battle flames in Carpinteria, California, on Monday, December 11. Hide Caption 4 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California As smoke obscures the sun, a Coulson C-130 air tanker turns to make a drop on a Carpinteria hillside on December 11. Hide Caption 5 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California As the Thomas Fire burns in the background, Dan Bellaart and his wife, Mary McEwen, comfort each other in their backyard in Montecito, California, on December 11. Hide Caption 6 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The Thomas Fire burns in the mountains near Carpinteria on Sunday, December 10. Hide Caption 7 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Firefighters battle a wildfire as it advances on homes in Carpinteria on December 10. Hide Caption 8 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A cloud of smoke overshadows downtown Ventura, California, on December 10. Hide Caption 9 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Horses are evacuated from the Laughing Dog Ranch as smoke from the Thomas Fire descends on the area in Ojai, California, on Saturday, December 9. Hide Caption 10 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The shell of a burnt-out bus is seen after fire swept through residential neighborhoods near Ojai on Friday, December 8. Hide Caption 11 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames rise as a fire approaches the Lake Casitas area of Ojai on December 8. Hide Caption 12 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A burnt Mercedes is seen after the Skirball Fire swept through the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air on Thursday, December 7. Hide Caption 13 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a hose in Ventura on December 7. Hide Caption 14 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Residents watch the Thomas Fire burn a hillside above La Conchita, California, on December 7. Hide Caption 15 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Fires surround a hilltop mansion in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 6. Hide Caption 16 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California "Daddy, the home is gone," Amanda Lewis tells her family on December 6. The Thomas Fire raged through her parents' foothill neighborhood in Ventura. Hide Caption 17 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Smoke rises across Southern California in this image taken from the International Space Station on December 6. Hide Caption 18 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter makes a water drop on flames after the Skirball Fire swept through Bel-Air on December 6. Hide Caption 19 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames from the Thomas Fire burn above a truck north of Ventura on December 6. Hide Caption 20 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Joyce George, right, comforts neighbor Dawn Reily on December 6. Reily's Ventura home was destroyed by fire. Hide Caption 21 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Flames consume vehicles in Ventura on Tuesday, December 5. Hide Caption 22 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Smoke billows from a burning house in Los Angeles as the Creek Fire moves through the area on December 5. Hide Caption 23 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A man watches as a wildfire burns in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 24 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The Creek Fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 25 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A firefighter battles a blaze in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 26 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Antoine Hanna comforts his wife, Tammy, after firefighters saved their home in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 27 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California This Ventura apartment complex, seen on December 5, was destroyed by fire. Hide Caption 28 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A firefighter sprays water at a burning house in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 29 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Palm trees burn in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 30 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests on December 5. Hide Caption 31 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A man prepares to evacuate his house in Santa Paula, California, on December 5. Hide Caption 32 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California A man tries to catch a horse that got loose in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles on December 5. Hide Caption 33 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Shrubs burn near a home in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 34 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California James and Josie Ralstin carry belongings retrieved from their home in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 35 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California Firefighters work to put out a blaze engulfing homes in Ventura on December 5. Hide Caption 36 of 37 Photos: Wildfires spread in Southern California The Thomas Fire burns along a hillside near Santa Paula on December 5. Hide Caption 37 of 37

But when the flames crashed into it Tuesday night it was like a "gas bomb" going off, he said.

Tumbleweeds 5- or 6-feet in diameter shot hundreds of feet in the air, he said, spreading the fire to new spots, including across the nearby 101 highway.

"It's humbling when you see Mother Nature be so aggressive," Lee said.

Lee said he had a kayak on his deck, just in case they need to escape by water.

I won't be a victim, man standing in rubble says

Sergio Barbosa has gone through waves of emotions. On Tuesday he tried to go back to the house he had lived in almost all his life, but police wouldn't let him into the neighborhood.

So he and a friend walked around and found a neighbor with a golf cart that got Barbosa in.

He had woken up that morning, a day after evacuating, with a bad feeling. As they approached his address, he worried, "Please don't let that be my house."

It was, and it was gone.

The home his mother had helped build, where years of memories were made and stored, was white rubble and melted shells in what used to be a kitchen.

He was angry and sad. He was also relieved. He had his answer.

And "... at the end of the day I'm alive. My roommates are alive," he said.

He says he will not let the fire make him a victim, even if all he has left are a few clothes and some personal effects. And he will rebuild -- "twice as nice" -- in the neighborhood he loves.

"I'm not going to let one incident scare me off," he said.