Powerful Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching hurricane strength, swept down the mountains outside Los Angeles and spread wildfires into several neighborhoods in early January 2025, creating a terrifying scene.

These fires were the result of a large life-threatening and destructive windstorm throughout the Los Angeles area.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Any fire needs oxygen to grow and the wildfires in the Los Angeles area are no exception. The fires have destroyed more than 10,000 homes and killed at least 10 people, in part because of the powerful Santa Ana winds. One firefighter described it as like fighting a fire in a hurricane.

The hurricane-force winds fueling fast-moving Southern California wildfires have exasperated firefighters in western states for over a century. They quickly turn small wildfires into raging infernos and eviscerate everything in their paths.