Multiple brush fires erupted in San Diego’s North County early Tuesday morning, prompting a fast response from firefighters and mandatory evacuations.

A wind-driven wildfire charred dozens of acres in a sparsely developed area south of Pala Mesa on Tuesday, damaging structures and forcing pre-dawn evacuations before crews could gain the upper hand on the flames.

The fires come as San Diego County mountains and valleys, along with other parts of Southern California, remain under a red flag warning.

At least 27 people have died in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Thursday evening. Seventeen of the deaths are from the Eaton Fire in Altadena and 10 from the Palisades Fire, according to the medical examiner.