Strong winds fueled fires across Santa Ana in California. Dramatic footage shows a plume of smoke rising from a hillside, with strong winds swaying trees in the foreground on3. Reports indicated the large vegetation fire started Thursday afternoon on a hilltop near the US-Mexico border.

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.

Critical fire conditions are expected to continue through Friday. But rain could be on the way this weekend. Here's what to know.

The Santa Anas are expected to be most powerful Monday night into Tuesday. Fire services across the region say they are ready.

Southern California will continue to face "dangerous fire weather conditions" including strong Santa Ana winds and extremely low humidity through later this week, forecasters said Tuesday.

Not only do these winds accelerate the speed and spread of the fires, they also affect how the fires are fought. The strong winds can make it dangerous to fly aircraft used for containing the fires.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed fire engines, water-dropping aircraft and hand crews across the region—to enable a rapid response if a new fire does break out, according to The Associated Press.

A rare Particularly Dangerous Situation warning has been issued for Southern California as a powerful and potentially damaging Santa Ana wind event​ is expected.

As of Jan 21, 2025, firefighters in southern California, USA, were still struggling to extinguish two of the largest wildfires the state has ever seen. The Palisades fire broke out in the western suburbs of Los Angeles,

Satellite imagery has captured smoke billowing from wildfires south of the border, fueled by similar conditions to the devastating blazes in Los Angeles.

The Eaton and Palisades fires have consumed more than 37,000 acres of homes, businesses and landmarks in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.

The destruction in parts of Altadena, a few miles to the west of Sierra Madre, and Pacific Palisades, which had burned in a separate fire on the other side of Los Angeles, made these areas appear bombed out.