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.

Parched Southern California could get some badly needed rain this weekend to dampen the prospects of another round of killer wildfires.

The weekend’s rainfall will not be a very powerful storm, but rather showers, bringing between one quarter to a half inch of rain across Orange County and the inland region, Tardy said. Los Angeles is only expecting one-tenth of an inch, meteorologist Lisa Phillips said.