The nature of the Santa Ana winds makes them perfectly suited to spreading flames. The destructive Palisades Fire is the latest example

The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires covered more than 5,600 acres of Southern California as of Wednesday morning. Tens of thousands were under mandatory evacuation orders but the fires increased in size overnight, helped by the blustery Santa Ana winds.

High-speed winds this week have the potential to knock over semitrucks and cause other hazardous driving situations. Here's what to know.

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.

We are under a First Alert Weather Alert until 7 this evening due to Santa Ana winds and their impacts. Red Flag Warnings and High Wind Warnings remain in place through this evening across Southern California,

Parts of Southern California, including Los Angeles, are under an extreme fire risk on Wednesday as Santa Ana winds continue to impact the region. The threat will lessen slightly on Thursday before ramping up again later in the week.

Wildfires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force on Wednesday after setting off a desperate escape from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke.

A damaging Santa Ana wind event was peaking early Wednesday and was expected to stay strong through early afternoon.

Dirk Verdoorn breaks down how winds have fueled the fires burning in Los Angeles County. This forecast is from Jan. 8 at 6 a.m.