Southern California is facing fierce fires fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which threaten homes and put firefighters to the test.

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.

As winds across the Southern California area are calmer than their peak and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the fire-weary region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue in the coming days.

After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana Winds Monday.

The Santa Anas are expected to be most powerful Monday night into Tuesday. Fire services across the region say they are ready.

Parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties all will be under a red flag warning beginning on Monday morning, the NWS said. The strongest Santa Anas are expected Tuesday morning.

The National Weather Service has issued another rare Particularly Dangerous Situation warning in anticipation of Monday's Santa Ana wind event.

A small amount of rain is in the forecast for the region beginning late Friday through early Saturday, a much anticipated change of weather.

The Santa Ana winds tend to cause the same corridors to burn over and over again. Experts say the region needs to adapt.

In early January 2025, just a week after New Year, furious 80 mph Santa Ana winds swept through SoCal. The winds are natural, occurring when cool, pressurized desert air heats and picks up speed as it races down a mountainside.

At least 29 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.

More than an inch of rain fell in parts of Los Angeles Monday afternoon, triggering flash flood watches and warnings in areas scorched by this month's wildfires.