Not only do these winds accelerate the speed and spread of the fires, they also affect how the fires are fought. The strong winds can make it dangerous to fly aircraft used for containing the fires.

High winds have been a key ingredient of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and after a brief lull they are forecast to intensify through the middle of the week. That’s certain to complicate the fight against blazes that have killed at least two dozen people,

Southern California residents are facing dire new wildfire warnings and power shutoffs while they prepare to flee at a moment's notice as fire-fueling winds blasted across the scarred landscape.