A wildfire that had burned more than 2,000 acres and forced more than 1,000 people from their homes north of Los Angeles was only smoldering early Monday, but worries were rampant as several hours of severe winds were expected to hit the region later in the day.

Fire officials were working quickly to surround the blaze 20 miles north of downtown that they said may be a “sleeping giant” if predicted Santa Ana wind gusts of up to 60 mph arrive.

“There’s been no open flames for hours,” Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Ron Haralson said Sunday night. “But the winds are going to grow and we risk a flare-up.”

The fire, which broke out about 2 a.m. Sunday, burned through 2,066 acres of rugged terrain in the Angeles National Forest, destroying a house, a garage, several sheds and three mobile homes. More than 1,200 people had evacuated and were advised not to return to their homes overnight.

“It jumped the ridge and came down like a madman,” said Barry Demeter, who told KABC-TV his home had burned as he led his horses away. “I left when the embers were falling around the house.”

The fire was 20 percent contained and no serious injuries were reported.

But Haralson warned the situation could easily deteriorate as powerful Santa Ana winds were expected to arrive from inland areas. Gusts could send embers flying and ignite parched brush and chaparral as far as a mile away.

A “fire weather watch” was declared through Tuesday for all of Southern California except the deserts.

Some 1,000 people were deployed to fight the fire along with water-dumping helicopters and planes.

The blaze threatened neighborhoods around Kagel and Lopez canyons, forcing the evacuation of about 450 homes. Many displaced residents sought refuge at a shelter set up at nearby San Fernando High School.

“It burned right down to a couple of neighborhoods,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Stanton Florea.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

In northern California, firefighters also were busy battling a wind-driven fire that was burning out of control early Monday on the east side of Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, forcing the evacuation of campers and threatening some unoccupied buildings.