Red Flag Warnings remain in effect through Friday evening for much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, the National Weather Service said.

Powerful Santa Ana winds are set to pick up again, making it challenging for firefighters to gain control of the severe wildfires in southern California. Meanwhile, a winter storm is bringing cold temperatures,

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.

The devastating fires that have killed at least five people and forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of residents across the Los Angeles region are driven by Santa Ana winds that blow from the deserts of interior California and Nevada out to the Pacific Ocean.

By the time the winds get to the point where the Eaton Fire broke out in Altadena on Jan. 7, it’s not uncommon for them to have less than 5 percent relative humidity, meaning essentially no moisture at all.

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.

“Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis are among those whose homes are at risk as fires continue to break out across Los Angeles, causing more than 30,000 people to flee the Pacific Palisades as well as parts of Malibu and Santa Monica. Hamill posted an update on his Instagram on …

At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest have already killed at least five people, burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of an estimated 179,