On arrival in 1542 to what was later to become Los Angeles, the Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo saw smoke rising from wildfires burning back in the hills. He named his anchorage “the Bay of Smokes.”

In recent days, however, the region’s powerful Santa Ana winds—which have been fanning the flames—have begun to slow down. This lull has offered firefighters a reprieve and a key opportunity to make progress against the blazes, but forecasts suggest the Santa Ana will return next week. What are these gusts, and how have they become so strong?

With the strongest gusts expected on Tuesday, extreme fire condition threats will prevail until midweek, L.A.-area fire chiefs say.

The Santa Ana winds are dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the Southern California coast. The region sees about 10 Santa Ana wind events a year on average, typically occurring from fall into January. When conditions are dry, as they are right now, these winds can become a severe fire hazard.

The Los Angeles wildfires have reduced entire communities to ash, prompting some of those who lost their homes to vow to rebuild in the same spot they called home.

A "Particularly Dangerous Situation" warning remains in effect as strong winds cause extreme fire danger in Southern California.

Paradise is six years into rebuilding its town, and since then, leaders have improved on evacuation procedures, learned how to guide rebuilding, and set prospects for building fire-wise communities.

Even as four wildfires continued to burn in Los Angeles County Wednesday, the blazes were already rewriting the record books.

Los Angeles firefighters braced for high winds on Monday expected to fuel two monstrous wildfires that have already leveled entire neighborhoods, killed at least two dozen people, and burned an area the size of Washington,

THAT’S THE PALISADES FIRE AND THE EATON FIRE. NOW, AT THE MOMENT, SUSTAINED WINDS, NOT TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM. OXNARD IS WHERE WE’RE SEEING SOME OF THOSE STRONGER WINDS RIGHT NOW. SO OVER INTO VENTURA COUNTY.

Droz Tragos lost everything and has since been staying in an Airbnb near her family in Santa ... Camp Fire in Butte County. The Camp Fire nearly destroyed the entire town of Paradise, California ...