The Palisades, Hurst, Woodley and Eaton fires continues to burn homes, cars, and businesses. Today, the destructive fire is moving through Southern California, threatening lives.
While the cause of the fires is still under investigation, the extreme winds are spreading the fire. The strong winds Southern California is experiencing are called Santa Ana Winds.
MORE INFO: Thousands flee as wildfires burn out of control and destroy homes across the Los Angeles area
Santa Ana Winds happen when high pressure over the Great Basin and low pressure over southern California; that pressure difference creates gusty winds.
The second part of the setup is the wind’s downslope journey from desert to mountain to coast. As winds funnel through mountains, they gain speed and change the air mass from cool to hot and dry because of compression.
Any flame in the path of the Santa Ana wind is bound to spread.
Winds are forecasted to decrease on Saturday- a break is needed to gain control of the Palisades fire, which is 0% contained.
