The winds are common in California in the colder months, but they can sometimes help spread dangerous wildfires.

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.

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.