It was a typical sunny Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica, with many people enjoying the beach, brunching and walking their dogs.

But just east of Pacific Palisades and Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway, authorities are preparing to launch a ground war against any fires that might break out as fast and excessively dry winds are expected to sweep through the area in the coming days.

Palisades Fire public information officer Dan Collins said a total of 5,677 fire and law enforcement personnel were dispatched to the fire, including crews from Canada, Israel and South Africa.

If strong winds lead to further outbreaks, as some fear, Cal Fire will have an additional "incident management team" stationed in Beaumont ready to assist, he said.

Hundreds of emergency vehicles lined miles of prime shoreline in the Palisades and Malibu, flanked by the black skeletons and crumbling chimneys of beachfront homes and businesses.

Dozens of tan tents above the beach marked a National Guard makeshift encampment that was bustling with activity ahead of expected fire weather.

In one particularly surreal scene, a Guard Humvee was parked outside the stately entrance to the Bel-Air Club in Pacific Palisades, surrounded by tall palm trees.

Fire trucks from as far away as San Diego and Contra Costa counties were parked on a stretch of road.

Law enforcement vehicles drive back and forth on PCH, lights flashing.

Dozens of Southern California Edison trucks line the winding coastal highway. Other utility trucks fanned out from Topanga Canyon to Sunset Boulevard, digging trenches to reach buried lines, repairing damaged electrical equipment and trying to repair as much damage as possible before wind speeds got too high.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service on Sunday issued the most extreme version of a red flag fire weather warning for much of Southern California, including burning areas in Malibu and Altadena. A "particularly hazardous situation" alert will come into effect at noon on Monday and last until 10am on Tuesday. Gusts of 50 to 70 mph are expected along the coast and valleys, and 60 to 80 mph in the foothills, with individual gusts up to 100 mph.

The warning comes as firefighters scramble to contain fires in the Palisade and Eaton. The Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 23,700 acres and killed at least 10 people, is 52% contained as of Sunday, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres and killed at least 17 people, is 81% contained.

When the Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7, Michelle Harrison and her husband lost their home in an unincorporated area of ​​Los Angeles County outside the city limits of Malibu.

Harrison said Sunday she now worries about those who may face more dangerous weather in Malibu this week.

"It's really tragic," she said. "I hope they have enough firefighters here, which I think they have now, to stop" any fires that might break out in the next few days.