The winds are common in California in the colder months, but they can sometimes help spread dangerous wildfires.

The ferocious wildfires turning the Los Angeles area into a raging inferno are being fueled by "hurricane force" Santa Ana winds that have already prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and are rapidly destroying homes.

Santa Ana winds in Southern California are often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire.

Santa Ana winds are synonymous with southern California weather. They can happen any time of the year but are more common during the cold months. They happen when a ridge of high-pressure forms over the Great Basin and an upper-level low forms near the desert southwest.

At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest have already killed at least five people, burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 179,

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Los Angeles and parts of Ventura County through Thursday evening, meaning that conditions for wildfires will be at their highest thanks to low humidity,

The devastating fires across Southern California are being driven by the Santa Ana winds, as incredibly dry and windy conditions continue to heighten the fire danger

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. However, "since the wind speeds are so high now, the slow decrease will not bring the winds down to below warning levels until early evening,

The Santa Ana windstorm calmed down a bit on Thursday morning, but forecasters warned that critical fire weather conditions would continue.

The life-threatening windstorm exploded into a crisis even worse than predicted, with embers flying an estimated two to three miles ahead of the fire. Grace Toohey is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times covering breaking news for the Fast Break Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Sentinel and the Advocate in Baton Rouge. Toohey is a Maryland native and proud Terp. Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.

High-speed winds this week have the potential to knock over semitrucks and cause other hazardous driving situations. Here's what to know.