Damaging winds, downed trees, power outages and raging wildfires. Santa Ana winds can lead to all of these and more, potentially leading to life-threatening conditions. Knowing what Santa Ana winds are and what to do could save your life.

Much of the Los Angeles area resembled a war zone Wednesday as at least four massive fires raged unchecked and destroyed hundreds of structures, driven by the worst Santa Ana winds to hit the region in more than a decade — winds that were expected to ease slightly by evening but continue into Thursday.

Mountain road closures are planned, and precautionary power shutoffs are expected due to potentially destructive winds and ultra-low humidity.

Red flag warnings of critical fire danger will linger across much of SoCal for the rest of the work week, as Santa Ana winds slowly diminish but continue to blast the region at above-normal velocity.

The erratic weather caused President Joe Biden to cancel plans to travel to inland Riverside County, California.

Although the strongest wind gusts have passed through the Southern California region, another "traditional Santa Ana wind event" will move in Thursday night.

Fresh off destructive wind and firestorms, the forecast remains daunting for Southern California with additional damaging Santa Ana wind threats and critical fire weather danger continuing at times over the next several days.

Another round of Santa Ana winds has moved into Southern California and will spread south through San Diego County late Thursday. The additional dry air also is expected to worsen the region’s already very low humidity levels,

As firefighters make some progress battling destructive wildfires in Southern California, fire danger continues into the weekend as another round of Santa Ana winds blow through the region. The new wind event arrives Saturday night and is expected to last into Sunday morning.