Santa Ana winds can spread fires

The autumn season has begun and with it come Santa Ana winds: hot, dry winds that blow in from the north and east and can reach a velocity of more than 70 miles per hour.

These “devil winds,” with the slightest spark, can drive a fire to catastrophic proportions – a fire that can travel faster through brush than a fire engine can travel on the highway. Cal Fire asks everyone to be extra careful during the Santa Ana wind season....