Maine forest rangers and volunteer firefighters are headed to California to help fight the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Two crews from Maine composed of eight forest rangers and 12 volunteer firefighters will spend two weeks in Southern California to assist in the response and recovery efforts, Gov. Janet Mills announced Monday.

Over the past week, wildfires have burned 40,000 acres in Los Angeles, killing 24 people and destroying thousands of homes. High winds forecast for the coming days are expected to complicate efforts to get the deadly fires under control.

“In times of emergency and crisis, states step up to help one another and that is what we are proud to be doing here,” Mills said in a statement. “Our highly trained forest rangers and volunteer firefighters are answering the call to support the people of California and provide much-needed relief to exhausted teams on the ground. I thank them for their service and bravery.”

After a weekend of some progress battling wildfires, firefighters in the Los Angeles area are preparing for more dangerous winds that could stoke flames. The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation” overnight Monday into Tuesday.

The weather service predicted severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of up to 40 mph and gusts reaching 70 mph in the mountains.

Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the nation’s second-largest city, where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

Four fires have now consumed more than 62 square miles, with the Eaton Fire in Pasadena and Palisades Fire accounting for 59 square miles. Crews from other states, Mexico and Canada have arrived in California to help put out fires and drop fire retardant from aircraft to act as barriers along hillsides.

Sixteen of the 24 deaths were attributed to the Eaton Fire and eight to the Palisades Fire, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Officials say at least 16 other people are missing.

The Maine firefighters are on their way to California and are expected to arrive Tuesday evening. The Maine Forest Service did not say what towns the firefighters are from.

During the crew’s deployment, Maine will maintain sufficient personnel to handle local emergencies while providing critical support to other regions, Mills’ office said.

Under the Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Agreement, state forestry agencies collaborate with federal land management agencies to respond to national emergencies like wildfires and hurricanes. The Maine Forest Service recently sent staff to North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

This report contains material from The Associated Press.