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In Los Angeles, the wind intensifies the devastating fire. Source: Getty
A deadly fire continues to rage in Los Angeles, which has already caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. According to experts, "devilish winds" are fueling the fires and preventing them from calming down.
Southern California has been particularly hard hit by these strong winds, officially known as Santa Ana winds, which are warm and gusty northeasterly air currents that blow from the interior of the region to the coast. The "devil's winds" are also drier because they move in the opposite direction of the normal coastal flow, which carries moist air from the Pacific Ocean to the region, writes DailyMail.
According to experts, Santa Ana winds led to a decrease in humidity levels and dried out vegetation, which then became susceptible to fires. In addition, huge wind speeds can ignite any spark into devastating fires that spread rapidly and cover thousands of hectares in a few hours.
Santa Ana winds are known to be created by high pressure over the Great Basin, which is the desert interior of the West that spans several states.
Scientists explain that the air dries out as it moves clockwise toward Southern California, where it encounters the high mountain ranges that separate the desert from coastal metropolitan areas.
It is at this time that the air begins to pick up speed as it passes over the mountains and canyons, becoming drier and warmer as it goes, scientists say.
Earlier this week, a high-pressure area in the Great Basin combined with a storm developing in northwestern Mexico to produce Tuesday's storm, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Gwen Fivager.
At this time, Santa Ana was moving at nearly 145 kilometers per hour in southern California. And given that it's usually dry in January, the fires spread quickly, researchers say.
"Right now, everyone is depending on the wind," said Brian Rice, president of the California Professional Firefighters Union. He added that gusts of 95 to 130 kilometers per hour are now ravaging the state.
"This is a hurricane wind and it's extreme," said Sheila Kelliher, captain of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
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