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

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 can bring disruptive impacts to daily life in Los Angeles and parts of southern California, but when coupled with wildfires they can escalate the situation rapidly, causing the fires to take hold and spread at great speed.