Strong Santa Ana winds are fueling multiple wildfires across Southern California, forcing thousands of residents to flee from their homes.

Firefighters from Northern California and neighboring Arizona have been sent to Southern California as out-of-control fires rage on in Los Angeles County. Fires began Tuesday afternoon as high-speed winds,

Katabatic winds? Adiabatic compression? Time for a thermodynamics lesson! The record lack of rain has also made this Santa Ana event different.

The Santa Ana winds are dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the Southern California coast. The region sees about 10 Santa Ana wind events a year on average, typically occurring from fall into January. When conditions are dry, as they are right now, these winds can become a severe fire hazard.

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.

Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 25 people. The Palisades and Eaton fires continue to burn in Southern California.

Strong Santa Ana winds capable of toppling trees or causing widespread power shutoffs are expected to arrive to Southern California Tuesday. In preparation for the wind event and heightened

The strongest Santa Ana winds of the season could bring a fire threat this week to Southern California, which hasn’t seen significant rain for nearly nine months.

Santa Ana wind events are actually strongest and ... In a typical La Niña winter setup, Northern California sees wetter-than-average rain and snow, while Southern California sees drier-than ...

LOS ANGELES — Santa Ana winds are common in Southern California during cooler months ... Victor Gensini, a Northern Illinois University climate scientist, was more emphatic.

Topography matters, too — treeless mountain peaks are typically windier without those trees, or buildings, to slow the winds. And different parts of Earth — water and land — heat from sunlight at different rates, which shapes wind.

One of the biggest stories of 2025 thus far has been the wildfires in California. A common occurrence in that state, wildfires are often fueled by a combination of drought and terrain. The terrain allows for the development of Santa Ana winds that cause any fire to spread very quickly.