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.

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,

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.

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

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,

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

Devastating fires in the Los Angeles region are driven by Santa Ana winds blowing from California and Nevada’s interior deserts to the Pacific Ocean.