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.

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

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Santa Ana winds have aided in several wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Fire Chief says the winds that are raging the fires in highly populated areas are unlike anything she’s seen in her 25 years on the job.

Multiple wildfires are currently raging through Los Angeles County, forcing evacuations and destroying neighborhoods. A long dry summer created ample fuel that has combined with a lack of rainfall over the winter to extend fire season conditions.

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,

Although the strongest wind gusts have passed through the Southern California region, another "traditional Santa Ana wind event" will move in Thursday night.

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.

The Santa Ana winds are a notorious wind event in California. It has been fueling the southern California wildfires.