Santa Ana winds occur when air flows west from a region of high pressure over the dry Great Basin to lower pressure off the California coast, According to Accuweather. As that cool interior air flows over and through mountain passes, it accelerates, sinks and compresses.

Thousands of firefighters working to contain wildfires around Los Angeles County benefited from relaxed winds on Saturday, but authorities warned the danger was far from over with winds expected to significantly increase again during the early workweek.

The nature of the Santa Ana winds makes them perfectly suited to fueling blazes like the Palisades Fire, and climate change is increasing the risk