Wildfires engulf California homes

Fast-moving wildfires have spread across parts of California as strong seasonal winds fanned the flames.

On Wednesday 6th November fires erupted across the US state, sweeping through more than 10,000 acres of land.

Strong, Santa Ana winds gusting up to 80 mph, paired with low humidity and dry vegetation following the summer season, has cooked up the perfect recipe for fires to rage.

Southern California's dry landscape produced ripe conditions for an extreme fire risk, with this risk remaining high into Thursday, and even into the end of the week for some areas.

Santa Ana wind are extremely dry and strong downslope winds that blow in during the cooler months, between October and March.

They develop inland from the desert regions and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California.

Santa Ana winds are responsible for the majority of wildfires that occur in California. In the UK we have foehn winds, a similar kind of dry, downslope wind.