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,

Multiple wildfires are currently raging through Los Angeles County, forcing evacuations and destroying neighborhoods. A long dry summer created ample fuel that has combined with a lack of rainfall over the winter to extend fire season conditions.

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.

Powerful Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching hurricane strength, swept down the mountains outside Los Angeles and spread wildfires into several neighborhoods starting Jan.

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.

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 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.