The ferocious wildfires turning the Los Angeles area into a raging inferno are being fueled by "hurricane force" Santa Ana winds that have already prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and are rapidly destroying homes.

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 are synonymous with southern California weather. They can happen any time of the year but are more common during the cold months. They happen when a ridge of high-pressure forms over the Great Basin and an upper-level low forms near the desert southwest.

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.

The devastating fires across Southern California are being driven by the Santa Ana winds, as incredibly dry and windy conditions continue to heighten the fire danger

At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest — which are at 0% containment — have already killed at least two people, burned thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of about 70,000 residents. Santa Ana winds coupled with dry conditions have created the perfect storm for the fires to spread.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Los Angeles and parts of Ventura County through Thursday evening, meaning that conditions for wildfires will be at their highest thanks to low humidity,

The ferocious Santa Ana winds that helped fuel the deadly wildfires around Los Angeles are forecast to ease later Wednesday, but they may return.